The Stargate of Alagaesia
by Hideout Writer
Summary: A single destination Stargate is set up on an uncharted world. Shortly afterward, the Aurora leaves the Pegasus Galaxy forever. Ten thousand years later, Atlantis arrives off the coast of Alagaesia.
1. The Stargate of Alagaesia Season Premier

_**Author's note: For the story, the Ancients will be known exclusively as the Lanteans. I feel that this name, while perhaps not as accurate, is more in keeping with the story told by Paolini in the Inheritance Cycle. I may decide to have Sheppard's team make an extended stay in Alagaesia, but I don't know yet. As always when writing fan fiction, this really awesome (and in this case, high tech and magical) stuff is not mine. Stargate: Atlantis and the Inheritance Cycle belong to MGM, and Christopher Paolini, respectively. **_

_Ten thousand years ago, a lone ship dropped out of hyperspace. The race of beings that designed the ship were very technologically advanced, and had travel mastered on a planetary scale. This species was at war with another species, the Wraith. Their ship, the Aurora had severe battle damage, and when the ship entered orbit around a planet that was not yet on the Stargate grid, they stopped, built a gate with only one address available for dialing out with, and only one place to dial in from: Atlantis. In addition, shields were set up to prevent the Wraith from ever culling this world. The network of shields relied on the power of the great forest the later became known as: Du Weldenvarden. Shortly after that, the Aurora fled the Pegasus Galaxy forever, hoping that she would one day return to Pegasus, and the city that was her home. The crew laced themselves in stasis, knowing that the war would be a long and bitter one. Having been connected through the stasis pods, they were able to operate the ship through their minds. They continued on, waiting for the beacon that would bring them home again._

_Two months ago, a lone Wraith infiltrated the Aurora's stasis systems, and began modifying the hyper drive to make it more efficient. Having the knowledge of the Lanteans on board the vessel, work progressed quickly. When she was finished, she intended to send the info to a waiting Wraith cruiser, and destroy the Aurora. She never finished her plan. John Sheppard and Rodney McKay had also infiltrated the Aurora's stasis systems. They exposed the secret of the Wraith in their midst, and told them how long it had been since the original crew had entered stasis. Knowing that the bodies of the crew had degenerated over time, even though they were in stasis, the captain told Sheppard about an information crystal in the computer near the stasis controls. He also asked the Sheppard remember the Aurora after he had returned to Atlantis. Ten minutes later, just as the upgrade was scheduled to be finished, the Aurora sent out a message to the waiting Wraith cruiser, saying that the ship had to be closer so that the Aurora's outdated systems could transmit the information to the cruiser. The cruiser moved in, waiting for the promised information, and then, the Aurora self destructed, taking the Wraith cruiser with her._

_Present day:_ "Elizabeth, I have a proposal to make. I think we should try SAF-583. The intel I have on this crystal is the dialing sequence. It requires a symbol that is only on the Atlantis DHD. Here's the address."

He slid a piece of paper over to Elizabeth. The gate address was printed on it

"What else do we know about SAF-583, John?"

"The crew of the _Aurora _installed a gate there, and put up planetary shields that will never fail from lack of power. If we had the equivalent of the power source here, we could run every single system here, and be under constant bombardment by a million Wraith Hives. The downside is that we cannot fly Atlantis to that planet because the shield will block anything that is coming in. The shield will allow us to fly out if we were in there, however. The 'gate is the only way in, and we have the only DHD in Pegasus that can dial that gate. Also, there is only one address on the other end that can be used. You push the big red button, and it dials. That's it."

"Take a Jumper, and go check it out. You can take whoever you need to go with you."

John turned to the nearest scientist. "Rodney? I haven't heard anything from you about this. What's on that overly-smart brain you possess?"

"We don't know if it is habitable. I mean, for all we know, the air could be toxic, or nonexistent when we get there. And, even if the air is breathable, there might be people there that would be unfriendly to us when we show up. I say, let's send a MALP, and follow it up a day later _if_ the atmospheric condition are conducive to our continued existence. We should also carry weapons."

"I'll take Ronon and Teyla with us, will that satisfy you?"

"I guess that would be good enough. Did the ah, captain of the _Aurora_ tell you anything about what was powering the shields? Because, like you said, if we are able to duplicate that, we wouldn't ever have to worry about bombardment from the Wraith. Not to mention, being able to run more systems would help. Maybe we could even find out how the Lanteans created their drones."

"That would be nice, I would really like to reload Atlantis' drone supply rooms. Rodney, you get Carson, and I'll get Ronon and Teyla."

_In the gym:_ Crack! A shuffling sound, then again, Crack! The door opened, and the combatants lowered their weapons, but maintained their focus on each other.

"I know you guys were just having some fun, but we have a mission to take care of."

The combatants bowed to each other, and then prepared for an off-world mission, Teyla leaving the gym to grab her tactical vest and weapons; Ronon merely walked over to a bench on one side of the gym, and picked up his blaster. Checking the kill/stun setting, he put the blaster back in it's usual place on his back.

"Okay, I'm ready. Where are we going, Sheppard?"

"We are going to a world that has never been culled by the Wraith."

"Sounds safe. I don't like safe if I don't intend to live there." the Setedan replied.

"I have no clue as to what's on that world, Ronon. We may be less safe there than on a Wraith controlled world."

"Maybe." came the uninterested grunt.

The door hissed again, and Teyla returned in her tactical vest, with her weapons secured. "I am ready, John."

"Great. Let's get outta here. Rodney's supposed to meet us in the Jumper bay with Dr. Beckett."

_In the Jumper bay:_ "Carson, look. John wanted you to come along because he though he needed you. And if he thinks he needs you, he probably does."

"But, Rodney, those cultures need to be closely looked after. Do ye think he could take anyone else with him?"

"He's got Teyla and Ronon coming as we speak."

"And why is this world so important, exactly?"

"Do you remember the _Aurora_?"

"Aye, I remember. Stasis had done all it could, and the bodies of the crew had degenerated so far that they would not have been able to do anything outside of stasis anyway. They self-destructed as soon as we could get out of there."

"Yes. Well, the captain claimed that his crew had set up a single destination gate. They also set up planetary shields to prevent the Wraith from ever culling that world. These shields are powered by a 'great forest' and the 'gate that was set up on that world was in that forest. There is only one 'gate in the Pegasus system capable of dialing it. Ours. It requires a symbol that is only in the Atlantis DHD. We will be relying on Atlantis to dial the gate for us, and on the other one, we might have to leave someone there to dial the 'gate so we can get back."

The tapping of tactical boots on metal could be heard as three people ascended the stairs.

"Ah, there they are. John, are we getting out of here now?"

"Yes, Rodney. We're getting out of here now."

The team entered the Jumper, with Carson following.

"One of us gets to sit on the back. It's not me, 'cause I'm driving."

"Fine. Rock, Paper, Scissors! Best two out of three, and the worst one gets the backseat."

The thought of four grownups performing the childhood ritual of Rock, Paper, Scissors almost caused Sheppard to lose his concentration, and when he looked back, he completely lost it, and broke out laughing.

"What?" came Rodney's indignant response.

"You guys are really playing Rock, Paper, Scissors to figure out who sits in the back?"

"Yes, we-"

"You lose, Rodney." interrupted the Setedan. "We went three rounds, and you lost."

"Oh, thanks a lot Sheppard! I really wanted to have my concentration broken so that I would get to sit in the back without looking like I was giving up!" The sarcasm was evident in his voice, and before he could say anything more, Sheppard reached over and pushed one of the buttons on the dash. The door closed between the front and the back.

"Elizabeth? This is Jumper One, we are ready to go, so if you would like to dial the 'gate, we would be much obliged."

"Understood, John."

The door between the Gate Room, and the Jumper Bay door to the Gate Room rotated open, and the Jumper glided down just as the event horizon stabilized.

"Good luck, Jumper One."

"Roger that, I hope we find something slightly more useful that a good-looking beta-site."

The Jumper rocked slightly forward, and shot into the event horizon. Moments later, the Stargate shut down.

_On planetary designation SAF-583:_ The event horizon stabilized, and the Jumper shot out of it moments later. As soon as it was away, it cloaked. The elves that had been practicing with their bows turned, and ran for the border where the magic barriers disrupted magic going in or out of Ellesméra intent on telling Islanzadí about this strange new magic that destroyed a target, and more importantly spawned something that could be very dangerous to the elven city. Knowing that running to the border would take some time, all but one of the elves banded together, and worked a piece of magic that enable the one to get to the border within five minutes. No sooner than the spell was complete than the six collapsed, unconscious, and the magic released it's hold on the seventh, depositing her mere moments from the border. Running across it, she used the spell that would enable her to talk to Islanzadí through the mirror.

"What do you what?" the queen asked, shortly after the ceremonial greeting was exchanged.

"The ring that has stood in the archery range has awoken; it destroyed a target, but worse, it spawned a metal creature. It was round in shape, like the ring, but the bottom was flat. After the water fell out of the ring, the creature flew on, extending it's arms before disappearing from our sight with a magic we have never seen."

"So…it-whatever it is-got away. At least you didn't try to engage it in combat of any kind. It could be dangerous."

"Before it disappeared, it took aim. It's headed straight for Gil'ead. At the speed it displayed, it will be there with the hour."

"Then we must prepare. Good day." The mirror faded to the glassy reflection of the glade the elf was in.

_In the Jumper:_ Did you see that? It looked like they were just talking, and then…one of them disappears. Should I let Rodney out of the back?"

"Yeah, Rodney can have 'shotgun' as he calls it. I'll take the back so we don't get snuck up on."

"Sounds good, Chewie." Hitting the button, he adjusted for open door dynamics. By this time, Rodney and Ronon had switched places.

"Coming up on what looks like a city, Ronon. There's a war on down there. I'm de-cloaking."

The Jumper's cloak fell away, John maneuvered the Jumper lower and began to loop around the city. Whatever battle was happening below, the defenders fled when they saw the Jumper appear. Sheppard landed the Jumper in front of the invaders, and Ronon stepped out, followed by Teyla. Carson followed, and Rodney decided to stay in the Jumper. John took up the rear. Almost at once, Ronon and Teyla dropped into battle stance, and Beckett ran towards one of the people laying on the ground. Taking his first-aid kit out, he began to render assistance to the boy. He had been struck by an arrow when an archer drew his bow at random and fired.

"Try not to do anything strenuous for a week, and ye'll be good as new, lad."

"Beckett! We may have some trouble!"

"What is it now, John?"

"Look."

Ronon and Teyla prepared for the elven army, and Dr. Beckett retreated into the Jumper. Rodney cloaked the Jumper, after telling Sheppard where he intended to go. John adopted a firing stance, but did not pick a target yet. Islanzadí stalked towards the group.

"You are either ignorant, or extremely brave to resist an elven army." She murmured. Knowing that these newcomers probably did not know the traditional greeting that was exchanged among the elves, she also forwent it.

"Well, ignorant, but I'll go with brave." John responded.

"Who are you? Where did you come from? Where is the strange craft you arrived in? And what magic brought you to this place?" The queens question came quickly, and her demeanor was that of someone who would not hesitate to kill if she thought they were lying or enemies.

Major Sheppard adopted a diplomatic approach. Lowering his weapon, and slowly raising his hands in the air, he began to speak in a cautious tone. "My name is John Sheppard, I am a lieutenant colonel, and we mean you no harm. We know of no 'magic'. We came through the Stargate in the Jumper. The Jumper is nearby, and cloaked so that you can't see it. We come from Atlantis."

Islanzadí relaxed slightly, this strange man was telling the truth. "Where is this Atlantis?"

"We would have to go through the Stargate to get there." He still wasn't sure if he was safe yet.

"Tell me about this 'stargate' and tell me about these weapons. They do not look like they could do any damage whatsoever."

For answer, the Major turned, and casually squeezed off a few into the nearby wall. "I think that that is answer enough for the weapons, and as for the Stargate, it is a way of instantaneous travel devised by a very old and powerful race of technologically superior being that we call the Ancients; they are also known as the Lanteans, and the other worlds here in Pegasus refer to them as the Ancestors. They built the Stargate, Atlantis, several ships, invented the Zero Point Module, and most of the Ascended a very long time ago. Those that did not Ascend have died."

"Does this 'Stargate' look like a rather large ring with blue symbols set into it?" the queen probed, curious.

"Yes. And when it activates, it looks like a pond of water standing vertically. Do you want to see the city of the Lanteans?"

"Very much so. How long would I be away from here if I were to go with you?"

"Well," John looked at his watch. "We spent about an hour flying here, and if we were to take you on a whirlwind tour of the city, that would be another hour at least, and then there would be another hour flying back here." He clicked his radio twice, and the Jumper uncloaked. "Turn off the lights on your way out will you? I'd like to show this lady about the gene."

"Certainly."

The occupants of the Jumper exited, and stood off to the side a little ways off. John waved towards the Jumper. "Shall we?" he invited.

She followed him, unsure of what to expect.

As he entered, the craft began to make noises as lights in the ceiling and walls activated. When he sat, the last few light activated. The queen watched from the relative safety of outside until he sat. Motioning for a few of her aides, she entered the craft. There was no response from the craft as she cautiously moved forward and took the seat across from Major Sheppard. The dark-skinned warrior and the female fighter took seats in the rear, and the other two strangers took seats across from them.

"I should have know that Sheppard would do something like this." whined one of them. "He's always attracted to beautiful women, particularly if they are Ascended, or royalty."

"Do not speak that way about Major Sheppard. I think it is entirely appropriate that he should try to make new allies. Perhaps they will be able to help us obtain food for the city." The female warrior tried to soothe the grumpy man.

"They might even have coffee beans for you McKay." grunted the other warrior.

With a whine, the door began to close, and the Jumper lifted off.

"Since we've already been seen, I don't see the point in using the cloak, do you?" called the former air force pilot.

Variations of "no" chorused through the cabin.

"Alright. I'm going to open this baby up, see how fast she can really go." With that, he moved the throttle up as far as it would go, and left it there.

The queen spoke up suddenly, saying, "you must land, there are wards that will prevent magic from crossing our borders. Your craft will fall from the air when you trip it."

"We don't have any magic." John remarked, tapping a button. "However, we are almost there, I do need to slow down so I don't overshoot." The throttle was slowly moved down, and the Jumper's altitude was decreased. "McKay, how do I dial this gate? Can I just hit the 'dial' button, and be on our merry way?"

"Not likely, look, a single address gate is a very rare instance, and it's not likely that the gate was designed with Jumpers in mind."

The Jumper dropped down in front of the gate, far enough away to avoid the instability vortex the formed immediately after dialing.

"I'm going to try it anyway, just to see what happens."

"You'll be wasting your time, besides, if you push that button and there is nothing for it to do, you could break it."

"Well, Rodney, then I'm lucky I've got you along to fix it." He pushed the button. And the Stargate dialed.

I think i may be the first to put up a story in this category. If you review by the time I get the next chapter written, I will leave an answer here for you.

Advice for the day: Review a story, you might make someone's day.


	2. Islanzadí comes to Atlantis

_In the control room of Atlantis:_ The wormhole connected, then stabilized, ready to eject whatever was coming through the 'gate on the other end.

"Ma'am? It's the address that Sheppard went to check out an hour and a half ago."

"Let them through. John? How did it go?"

"Just fine, 'Lizabeth. Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing in particular. Things have been quiet around here. Oh, and Carson? Dr. Keller says that your cultures have turned green. I don't know if that's good, bad, or expected, but she said that's an important piece of information for you."

"Thank ye very much. That's good news."

The 'gate shut down, and the Jumper ascended into the Jumper bay.

"So, this is the city of Atlantis?"

"Yes. You know, I told you my name, but I never heard yours."

"I am Islandzadí, queen of the elves."

"So, you command the entire elven population in Alagaesia?"

"Yes. Why would you ask such a question?

"Because not everyone that is a leader leads all of the populations they lead. Our world has many leaders, many peoples. Yet, everyone on that world is human. Even here, we do not have one leader."

"Who is the leader of this great city?"

"I am. Well, actually, I'm the 'military ranking officer'. Everyone in the military contingent on this outpost answers to me. I share command with Dr. Elizabeth Wier. We aren't as formal here, because formal doesn't work so well when you are several lightyears from where the protocols originated. As such, I've had to let go of things that wouldn't help this base."

"I see. We have always maintained our customs. There is much for us to learn from your culture, I think. Why do you share authority?"

"Where I come from, there was a wise person who said "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." In essence, he is saying that the more power someone has, the more corrupted they become if there is no counterbalance."

"He was indeed wise. Galbatorix has absolute power, and is indeed corrupt."

"Who is this 'Galbatorix'?"

"He was a Rider from the days of old, but our order has disowned him because of what he has become. About two hundred years ago, Galbatorix and several of his friends, fresh out of training with the Riders, flew north, and slept on the great Northern ice pack. A band of Urgals slew Galbatorix's dragon and his friends. They badly wounded him, but he fought them off. He sought death then because of the loss of his dragon, but even death fled from him. Finally, hope aross in him that the Riders would grant him another dragon. So he returned, and was tended for three days while he slept. On the forth day, he appeared before the Council of Riders, and demanded another dragon. They refused his request, seeing him madness clearly for what it was. He left the halls of the Riders then, and proceeded to overthrow them. He stole a dragon hatchling, and forced it to serve him, convinced thirteen other to join him, and destroyed the Riders. He salvaged three eggs in the last battle, and then set himself up as king over all of Alagaesia. He has ruled the land ever since."

"How could he have lived for more than a hundred years total?"

"He is a Rider. Old age will never claim him. It is because of the magic of the dragons. Two eggs have hatched since the time when he took the throne. About a year ago, Eragon took possesion of one of the eggs, and it hatched for him. Sapphira is loyal to our cause, as is Eragon, her Rider. However, three months ago, another egg hatched. Murtagh rides Thorn, and they are loyal to the black king. That red dragon has killed Oromis and Glaedr over Gil'ead."

"So that's what that red airborne was!"

"Yes." the word was utter with much sorrow.

"Then, what was the gold-colored mountain? It was much larger the red dragon we saw…was it his stash of gold?"

"No. It was Glaedr. Thorn killed him in an aerial duel shortly before you arrived."

"That explains the aerial disturbance that the Jumper's sensors picked up. To think that if we had known we could have saved your Rider. The Jumper has weapons that would have taken out Thorn if I had fired them."

"There was no way you could have known. It is regrettable, but what is done is done."

{"Major Sheppard? Could you bring your visitors to my office after they visit sickbay?"}

"{Sure thing, Elizabeth. Sheppard out.}"

"Dr. Wier, the leader of the civilian side of the expedition, and almost my boss, wants to see you about something. But before we go to her office, we need to take you guys down to sickbay."

"Why do we need to go to sickbay? We are in perfect health. Why would we go to a place with sick people?"

"It is standard procedure here, one of the protocols we have seen fit to keep due to danger to the city if someone is sick with a contagious disease. Besides, we need to establish a baseline in case you do happen to get infected with something while you are here."

"Very well. Where is the sickbay?"

"Right this way."

**Author's note: In case it is not obvious, {""} is heard only by the person being contacted on the radio in the setting. "{}" means that those around the person can hear what that person is saying on the radio. This chapter is shorter than the first one because the first one was a sort of 'debut' kind of like a first episode of the first season kind of thing. Also, I want to thank MGM and Christopher Paolini for not sueing me for using their characters, and making them bravely face whatever adventures I have dreamt up for them. Thanks to the readers of this story, if it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have reviews to answer! So, without further typed-up pontification, I present: Answers to Readers!**

**WriterSucks (): If you made a FanFiction account just so you could spew venom over stories that don't meet with your expectations, then you've wasted your time here. I do not consider this story to be stupid, nor do I suck balls. Tell me how I screwed it up, and you'll be that much closer to a constructive review.**

**Master of the Blood Wolves: You're right, I had forgotten that magic was able to leave the borders of the ancient forest. Those six did knock themselves out for nothing. Well, at least they didn't kill themselves. I thought that the action that they performed was merited: mirror communication goes both ways, and is magical.**

**The reason my knowledge on IC is good is because I own a copy of books 1 and 3. (Still missing two, but what the hey, there's nothing in 2 that matters, is there? JK)**

**My SGA knowledge is likewise stable (though not quite as good) because I watch (and re-watch) random SGA episodes on a relatively regular basis. Thanks for leaving this review for me!**


	3. Screening, and a fight

_In the Sickbay:_ The doors hissed open to reveal Carson Beckett hunched over his microscope, examining the cultures that had 'turned green'. He backed away from the 'scope to look at his visitors.

"Hello again, Carson. Wier wants these guys to get their baselines before she talks to them. How are the green bugs?"

"Taugh, their not bugs, Lieutenant Colonel, they are cultures! And they are doing fine." Turning to the elves, he said "If you will step this way, please. You too, Sheppard. I think I will have to examine your head! Calling them bugs!" This last was muttered.

"Do you let him give you orders, John?" queried one of the queen's aides.

"Well, he's the Chief Medical Officer on this base. I have to listen to him, because he ensures that I remain in healthy enough to give orders to the rest of the city. He doesn't give orders as such, but can relieve personnel of their duty. We listen to him because he keeps us in good enough shape to do our jobs, and takes care of us when we are too sick to do anything about anything."

"Ah."

"Alright, now if ye 'll just hop up on the bed here, and make yourself comfortable, I'll just turn on the scanner-" he keyed in a sharp succession of strokes. With a beep, the scanner turned on, and moved down the length of the bed, pausing at the foot of the bed before returning and shutting off. "That's one down, three ta go, and then I'll get back to my cultures. If my research goes well, I will have come up with a vaccine for the Hothan drug.

"What magic is this?" asked the queen. Carson's 'one down' had roused suspicions in her heart.

"Luv, there is no magic here. This-" he tapped the scanner box on the bedside arm, "just…" he paused to figure out how to verbally paint a picture for the elven queen. "This paints a picture of your insides, by looking through a … It uses X-rays, and I don't know how to explain that to ye, but the end result is that I am able to see inside of you without cutting you open. This enables me to treat diseases before they become terminal. Here-" he showed the results of the last scan. "I can tell that this man enjoys a purely vegetarian diet, and good health. He was wounded in a recent fight, but there is no evidence of it on his skin. He appears to be…no, this can't be right." He whirled to face the trio of elves. "Is it common for you to live 500 years or more?"

"Yes. We have had longer life spans ever since the pact we made with the dragons. Is something wrong?"

"No. Now that I know that you are used to long lives, I know that the reading are not wrong. He's clean."

The second aide was scanned, then Islanzadí. After that, Sheppard escorted them to the Gate Room.

"Why are we standing in a closet?"

"It's not a closet. Take a good look at the room outside of theses doors." he tapped the screen, and the doors closed, then opened. "Now look."

"You have not told us the truth. You do indeed use magic, but I was not able to sense you reaching for the magic. My race has always been able to tell when someone near us uses magic."

"I have told you the truth. What we use is technology. It is not magic. We called that 'closet' a transporter. By touching the screen at any position with a blue dot on it, we can go there. We still haven't figured out how it works yet, but we know that it works."

"Welcome to Atlantis!" A lone woman, with her hand out in greeting, stood half-way down the stairs between the first and second levels of the Gate Room. "I am Dr. Elizabeth Wier. And you are…?"

"I am Islanzadí, queen of the elves." her musical accent was not lost on Wier.

"Hey, may I try my skills against one of your people?" Ronon wanted to see if the elves were as fragile as they looked.

"Certainly. Ceranthor?"

The elf nodded, then followed Ronon. "You wish to fight me. Very few wish to spar in such a mismatched fight."

"I fight in mismatched situations all the time." Grunted Ronon, thinking of Sheppard and Rodney.

"How do you survive them?" he asked.

"Who?"

"The people you fight in mismatched situations."

"Survive them? I laugh at them!" The Setedan actually smiled at the thought of having to worry about surviving in a one-on-one fight against Sheppard, and then laughed out loud when he thought about McKay.

"I see. I do not think that you will defeat me as easily as you did those two."

"Here's the gym."

Teyla was practicing with her Bantos rods when Ronon strode in, followed by one of the elves that had accompanied Islanzadí to Atlantis.

"Do you intend to spar with him?" she asked of the elf.

"Yes. Is there a reason I should not?"

"No. I was just going to ask if you needed any help."

"I will not be needing any help, but your friend might need help before our sparring is over. Do you have a weapon available for me?"

"Here, take these." and she handed him her Bantos rods.

The fight began as many other fights began, with the combatants crouched in the ready position, waiting for one or the other to make a move. Ronon moved first, and the elf danced around him, beating of Ronon's stick, then lightly tapping Ronon on the back with the stick in his right hand. The fight continued for five minutes, during which time, Ronon acquired the largest collection of bruises he had ever had since joining the Atlantis Expedition.

"You are a worthy fighter," he gasped "I can see why the people in the city were quickly driven away by your advance."

Ceranthor beckoned towards Teyla. "Do you wish to help your friend? I would relish the opportunity to show my skill in a two on one fight."

Teyla picked up her spare set of rods, and moved into position across from Ronon. The Setedan collected himself, grabbed his stick off of the ground, and then Atlantis shuddered from an attack.

Third chapter, third day, cliffhanger, what other achievements can I put here? Anyways, answers to readers:

_LaRire: _Glad you think so, LaRire, I'll take it…somewhere! (Can't tell you, because then I would have no motive to write the next chapter, cause you'd already now what happens)

_Master of the Blood Wolves: You're right, I had not noticed that. The queen is a bit awed by the tech, but think that it is just magic. And yes, I get the joke._


	4. Power issues

**Author's Note:**_ Right, so, the muse puked; I had to get a new one, and that one failed, so…third time's the charm? Anyway, that's what took so long. I had to order the muse on the internet, and…it's dicey._

**Spoiler Alert!: Atlantis will stay in Alagaesia.**

_In the gym:_ **Boom. **"What was that?" asked the elf **boom. **

"Atlantis is under attack." **boom** "Come with me, we have to get to our stations." **boom**

"Damn Wraith, why can't they just go pick on someone less protected than us?" **boom, boom** "Damn it!" The now very disgruntled ranking officer picked himself up off the floor. "Why us?" **boom** "Let's see. The Daedalus gets here in four hours, we just have to hold out for four hours."

Rodney walked in. "There you are, Major! I've been looking all over for you."

"Well, here I am. What's going on?"

"The Wraith are attacking."

"I got that, Rodney. What are we going to do about it?"

"Well, Elizabeth was talking with the elf, ah, queen whats-her-name, and she mentioned that there was some sort of cylindrical object, well four, actually, and when Elizabeth had me show the queen what a zedpm looked like, the elf was all like 'yeah, that's exactly what they are'. So of course we told them how valuable they are, and the queen offered to give them to us."

"With no catch?"

"Well, if we take them, we are to help with their war, but if we decided to say, deactivate the shield, we could take Atlantis there, and the Wraith would never be the wiser."

"Get on it. And tell the queen what's-her-name that on behalf of the military contingent, we accept. However, we need those ZPMs right now."

"Right." The leading scientist practically ran out of the gym.

"I guess we go to the Gate Room now." **boom** "That was close! Let's get out of here."

They ran out of the room, weapons and sparring forgotten. Tapping the screen for the Gate Room, Sheppard stepped out of the Transporter as soon as the doors reopened. Running over to the ops station he asked the tech what was happening outside.

"They've stopped the bombardment, and there are darts on the way. I think they intend to capture Atlantis."

"Alright, issue P-90s to anyone that can handle them. Tell them to fire at will, and don't hesitate. Dr. Wier? Is it true? I heard that the queen offered us four ZPMs provided we help them with their war."

"Yes. I sent McKay to check it out. Can you do anything about our uninvited guests?"

"Can you handle a gun? I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Unscheduled 'gate activation!"

"That would be McKay.""McKay! What did you find?"

"The ZedPMs are all fully charged. We can raise the shield and fly out of here in five minutes or less. Can I come in now?"

"Oh! Yes, the shield is down, feel free to come back home."

"Thank you. Oh, because I didn't bring the ZedPM carrying case, I just asked a couple elves to help carry them. I hope you don't mind."

"No, when it comes to survival, I would have done that too."

Rodney came through the 'gate along with three other elves, and proceeded to the power room.

"Well, I'd better get down to the chair room. I'm sending Rodney back to the planet so that he can shut down the shield when we get there. Better yet, I'll have Zelenka go…" He dashed off, headed for the Chair.

~"Attention, All personnel, we are about to fly the city out of here. All equipment is to be secured for liftoff, it's going to be a little bumpy as we clear the atmosphere. And Rodney, if you could come to the Chair Room as soon as the ZPMs are in place, I need to talk to you."~

Rodney found Sheppard slowly spinning in the Chair three minutes later when he arrived. "What did you need?"

"Can we cloak the city?"

"Not without taking the shields off-line."

"Do we have a thermonuclear device that we can blow up?"

"…Yes, why?"

"Tell the Wraith that we intend to blow up the city in order to keep it from falling into their hands. Then from a cloaked Jumper, detonate the device outside of the shields, then switch to cloak. When they leave, we will lift-off, engage the shields again, and fly to the planet with that really cool shield thingie over it."

"What if they don't buy it? They could just decide to help us blow it up."

"No, they need Atlantis so they can find Earth. If we decide we are going to blow it up because of them, they will retreat, and hope that we don't blow it up. If they find that we are still around, they will find a slightly sneakier way in. We're going to 'blow it up' anyway, if for nothing more than the fun of detonating a thermonuclear device."

"You and explosives." muttered the scientist.

"The Daedalus gets here in about three and a half hours, so we are going to keep the shield up until we can get the Daedalus to drop the bomb on the shield, then we get out of here, maybe a day later. Could you tell the queen that I would like to talk to her? I'm going to get cleaned up a bit." Indeed, the fearless leader of the Atlantis military was rather dirty from the shelling before the shield was erected around the city.

"Yeah. Wow, you really are dirty."

"Thanks for the heads up, Rodney. I couldn't have figured that out by myself."

_In the conference room:_ "We agreed to help you with your war when we received the ZPMs that you had available. We are under bombardment, and cannot move until they leave. Now, we are going to tell them that we are destroying this city to prevent it from being captured by them. Because we stand between them and earth, they will do almost anything to prevent that, and capture this facility. There are shields around your world, and if we deactivate them, we can fly this city to your world, and help you that way. Or, we can send people through the gate to your world, and help that way. If we move, we will be able to help you more easily, and we won't have to deal with a constant Wraith threat. We will honor our agreement if you deny us asylum, but we will not be able to devote all of our attention to help you. Can we come?"

The elven queen tilted her head, considering. After what appeared to be a silent conference with her advisors, she looked at John and stated thus: "You may come to our world. We will give you three days after this scum in orbit leave."

**Sorry that was so short, I've been having difficulties coming up with stuff to write, and I didn't want you guys to think I had abandoned you. SO…**

**Answers to readers:**_ Master of the Blood Wolves: I have no clue about the Anubis drones, the bugs that look like metal spiders are Replicators (read: Nanites), and I don't know who Ork Warboss is. That leaves the Wraith. Ding, ding, ding! You're a winner! I'm glad I had no errors in the last 'episode'. _

_**Randomness about me: I like Dragonforce, Nightwish, Beyond Temptation, and Sabaton. Randomness is complete.~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~-=~REVIEW**_

_**HERE!**_


	5. Newcomer

_Author's note: The system is restored, so while I have inspiration, I'm going to write. Ajax is debuted here, a slight OC crossover with Maximum Ride. If I go fast enough, I will stage a time delay so that I don't have a massive gap in time between updates. Enjoy, and review when you're done. P.S.: There is a poll about the color of the third egg that was salvaged in the last great battle._

_On the bridge of the _Daedalus_:_ "You want us to blow up Atlantis? You know, I always suspected that you were crazy, Major Sheppard, but this goes beyond what I thought about you."

"Sir, we have the shield up, and we intend to tell the Wraith that we are blowing up Atlantis. They will cease their fire, and then I need the _Daedalus_ to come around from the far side of the planet, drop the bomb, then jump into hyperspace. We will need you to go to this point…here. That's where we are moving Atlantis to. The reason for the delay is that we don't want to be tailed by the Wraith when we move the city. There is a planetary shield that is designed to protect against the Wraith, but the largest object that can pass through that shield are the Jumpers. We will see to it that one is issued to the _Daedalus_ for moving to the planet's surface and back."

"But…won't the Wraith just track you? They could theoretically intercept you at any time they choose."

"I doubt it. See, they can't track us through hyperspace, and landing Atlantis won't take more than say, twenty minutes? We are sending McKay through the gate before we get started so that he can turn off the shield at the power source when we arrive. He's taking a Jumper with him so that he can receive radio confirmation to shut off the shield. He will then be in continuous radio contact until we clear the shield boundary, at which point he will reactivate the shield, and Atlantis will settle on the water about 2 clicks away from the coastline. From there we should be able to-" he was cut off by Colonel Caldwell.

"Enough, I get the point. I have one question left. Did Dr. Wier sign off on this plan?"

"Yes, she did, Sir."

"Fine. Give Dr. Wier my respects, and tell her that the plan is go. Oh, and we have a new member here for you. His name is Ajax, and he's a scrappy young fighter. Just a few days over eighteen, and is convinced he's bulletproof. I'll leave him in your hands to deal with."

"Has he been a pain in the ass, Sir?"

"No, but he just seems rather overexcited. I'm ready to get him off this ship so he can rip something apart, or whatever it is that he does to his enemies."

"Sounds…dangerous."

"He went for three hours against Teal'c."

"That's just creepy."

"Not a creepy as his story." warned Caldwell. "It gave me the shivers for a week."

"…yeah." transitioning to a military posture, he said "Permission to disembark, Sir."

"Permission granted. Watch your step, it's a long drop from the ship to the surface."

"Heh heh heh. Yes, Sir." Still grinning, Major Sheppard turned about, and tapped his headset. "Sheppard here. One to beam down."

_In the 'Gate Room: _It was a Sheppard lost deep in thought that appeared out of the sparkling veil of transport energy. It took him a minute to register that he was back on Atlantis.

"Right! We have a go, people! I want this place shut down and ready to be wiped from the face of this world!"

"So you got a go from Colonel Caldwell?"

"Well, he thought I was crazy, but when I told him that you and Dr. Wier signed off on it, he agreed to do it."

"Great! Oh, I nearly forgot, some guy named Ajax? Came down about five minutes ahead of you, and said that he was here to help. I issued him a radio and a headset so you could find him if you need him right away. We have a lot of work to do, so I'm going to get on it, and unless you can help, I'd thank you to step aside." The scientist bustled off, barking orders to his underlings.

"Sheppard to …Ajax" he said, tapping his headset.

"What?" came the curt reply.

'Well, he's feeling friendly' Sheppard thought. "I wanted to know where you are."

"I'm with Ronon and Teyla in the …gym. Teyla is teaching me about stick fighting."

"Okay, I'll be right down. Sheppard out." he started out at a trot towards the gym.

_In the gym:_ "No, you do it like this." She slid through the forms slowly to show her student. "Now try it again." The student, a youth, moved through the forms as she had instructed.

"Okay, I think I got it." he said. The two then engaged in a normal speed battle again, using the forms that had just been taught.

"Much better. You are a quick study."

"I'm not used to having much time to learn. I learn, and survive another day, or I die. It's as simple as that."

"We have more time here."

The chime sounded, and the gym door slid open to admit Major Sheppard. Bending at the waist, the youth bowed to Teyla, and then put down his sticks. That done, he turned to survey the newcomer. "You are the one who called on the radio." There was no question in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah I'm the one who called you. How do you like the city so far?"

A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he responded to the question. "It's probably prettier when it's not under attack."

"Well, how was your training going?"

"She is a good teacher. I look forward to sparring with Ronon. I think I can take him." Ajax crouched, and picked up his sticks. Ronon was silent in his attack, but the kid merely held his sticks in a position to deflect Ronon's rod. Whirling about, Ajax slid to the right, ready for the next attack.

"Good move." Ronon acknowledged gruffly.

Ajax twitched "Not as good as what I've got next." He launched an all-out attack, resulting in three separate contacts, all on Ronon. When he disengaged, Ronon had three whack marks on his stomach. Spinning his sticks like a pair of lightsabers, Ajax crouched in a ready position, and waited for the Setedan to recover. Still doubled over, Ronon admitted "Never saw that coming."

Sheppard had a questioning look on his face. "How?…What?…How'd you _do_ that?"

"Umm, I did it?" Ajax seemed to not understand the question, but didn't want to revisit it. "You good, Ronon?"

"Yeah. Try it again."

Turning away, Ajax acted like he was more interested in the door control mechanism than he was in Ronon's staff. Ronon, hating to be ignored, rushed him. Ajax swung his sticks, and blocked Ronon behind his back. He held Ronon at bay for about a minute before whipping around saying with an affected British accent, "I say, whatever are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm trying to do?" Ronon growled.

"I have no clue." The sticks were moved with such speed and grace that it seemed like a dance. "I very much doubt you are trying to hit me with your staff, though."

With a savage growl, Ronon swung so hard that when his rod was once again deflected, it hit the floor, and two feet of staff parted company with the rest of the stick, and flew across the gym where it narrowly missed Major Sheppard.

"Hey! That could have hit me, you know."

"Sorry." was all he heard.

"Well, try to be more careful next time." the Major turned, and left the gym, calling McKay on his radio as he left.

_In the 'Gate Room:_ ["Hey McKay, I've got a bet to make with you concerning Ronon."]

"[What are the terms?]"

["I bet that Ajax can hold of Ronon for twenty minutes without getting hit."]

Having had experience with the fighter in question, Rodney responded almost instantaneously. "[You are SO on! I'll be down to the gym in a moment. I just have to finish this, and then we have to wait for a few hours, so I have plenty of time to watch.]"

["I look forward to you paying up."]

"[You just think you're going to win. Wait, is this Ajax Ascended?]"

["No."]

"[Good. You're on. McKay out.]"

Tapping the remaining codes, the scientist sent the message to _Daedalus_ saying that they were almost ready. He then shut down the last computer that was still on, got on city-wide, and said "Shield your eyes from the light. We are about to have a nuclear warhead dropped on our shields, after which we will cloak the city. We are forced to wait about three hours before we attempt to move the city, so in five minutes, feel free to turn on your equipment, and do…something. Impact in five…four…three…two…one…impact!"

The bomb exploded on the shield with the fury of a thousand wildfires. The subsequent radioactive interference would be enough for the Wraith to not be able to see anything that was happening below. Switching from shields to cloak, Rodney prayed that this plan would work.

_In orbit above Lantia:_ The _Daedalus_ banked sharply to avoid the volley of energy that the foremost Hive began flinging at the ship. Ordering the ship into hyperspace, Stephen Caldwell relaxed in his seat, glad that the plan had worked. The course that had been locked in was back to Earth, but sometime before the ship even exited Pegasus, the ship would drop out of hyperspace, and take a new bearing, towards the other side of the Pegasus galaxy. Once at the target destination, the ship would enter geosynchronous orbit around the planet, directly over where Atlantis was to splashdown.

_The Atlantis gym:_ McKay arrived just in time to hear, "Is that all you got? I could do this all day without worrying about you hitting me with your monstrous stick!" followed by a series of sharp cracks as sticks forcefully collided. McKay walked in to see Ajax dancing around Ronon, his Bantos rods circular blurs in his hands. Teyla and John were up against one of the walls, well out of the way of the fight in progress. They both held stopwatches, and seemed to be very intent on the fight. Looking at her stopwatch, Teyla picked up her Bantos rods with one hand, and continued to watch.

"That's twenty minutes, go ahead, Teyla." John murmured.

Teyla set down her stopwatch, and moved into the fray, transferring one of her rods to the other hand in preparation to engage. Five seconds later, she joined the fray, and McKay took advantage of a momentary lull in the fight to scurry over to where Sheppard was leaning against the wall with a smug expression on his face. "Pay up, Rodney."

"But…what…how?"

"He's fast. And his training comes from having to survive several wolves at a time, at almost any time, with no warning whatsoever."

"Can he take one of the elves?"

"I don't know. He's handling Teyla and Ronon pretty well, though."

There was a slightly harder crack, and the two observers heard Ajax say: "Pretend I'm a Wraith, Ronon! Maybe _that_ will help you to fight!"

Ronon growled so savagely that John winced, and muttered "Glad he's on our side." shortly before walking out.

The fight continued, and a crowd started to form. John reappeared with the elves that had come to Atlantis on the Jumper. Islanzadí's eyes narrowed when she saw the fight. "This is what you brought me here to see?" her tone suggested that she didn't enjoy watching fights.

"You can join in if you wish." John put in lightly.

There was no verbal response, but all three elves picked up spar poles that were leaning against one wall, murmured inaudible spells over the wood, then entered the fray. Ajax was not blind to his current situation. He incapacitated Ronon with a single blow, then proceeded to remove Teyla from the competition. Moving aside so that Dr. Beckett could see to Teyla and Ronon, he settled into a defensive crouch until Carson had removed his latest cases from the floor of the gym with the help of a couple marines that were standing in the crowd. It had been thirty minutes since the bet between John and Rodney had been made. Backing up for more room, Ajax waited for one of his new antagonists to make a move. Suddenly, one moved, and the dance was recommenced. In less time than five minutes, one of the elves backed away with a sore arm from having received a rather strong whack from one of his companions. Ajax finally called out: "Enough! I submit."

The elves put down their rods, and Ajax fell to his knees, exhausted. "You, you are" he paused. "good fighters. I have not met the likes of you in battle before." He twisted his hand over his chest in the elven gesture of respect. Islanzadí's eyes widened in recognition of the sign, before nodding to the exhausted youth.

"How do you know that gesture?" she asked.

"I read." came the dry response.

**Answers to readers: **

**Master of the Blood Wolves: It's only several if you count '4' as 'several'. All that aside, I realized that before I moved the city, I would have to throw the Wraith off-track long enough to raise the shield again before the Darts could actively engage. As to the Ork faction, if you blew the arm off of a freshly-fed Wraith, all he would do is grow a new one, and keep firing stunners at you. No lead will be rained down upon Uru'Bane, but you're right, it does suck to be Galby, or his magicians. I'm thinking 'One Major Sheppard, plus one Jumper plus several Jumper drones, equals dead/dying armies/destroyed buildings.**


	6. Moving

_In the gym:_ After the fight, Ajax recovered quickly, and set down his rods along with the others. Picking up the shattered remnants of Teyla's Bantos rods, he stood, and walked out of the gym after the crowd dispersed. Walking outside, he sat on the edge of the city, and listened to the slap of water against the hull of the city-ship. He sat thus for three hours, unmoving. As the sun's disk touched the horizon, he stood, flung the shattered Bantos rods out to sea, and stalked back to the door.

_The twelfth level western balcony_ John had been watching, and had Teyla watching with him. Ronon had been taken to Sickbay, where Dr. Beckett tended his concussion. Teyla had been uninjured in the fight; when Ajax took her out of commission so as to better deal with the elves, he had not knocked her out, as with Ronon, but shattered her rods. His rods had never once touched her, and she suspected that it was on purpose. She resolved to ask him later about it.

_Meanwhile, on the first level:_ Ajax walked inside, and turned to go down an adjacent hallway. When he came to the end of the hallway, he was faced with a closet. After a moments hesitation, he quickly entered, and touched one of the dots on the screen secreted in a panel in the rear of the closet. The doors covering the panel closed, and the 'closet' doors closed. They opened again, a moment later, in a different section of the city. Ajax _flew_ out of the transporter, thoroughly freaked out. After a moment, he stopped, and looked around. Seeing that he was in the Sick Bay, he reviewed what he knew of Atlantis operating procedure.

"I'm Ajax, I'm here for my baseline tests."

"Are ye the one that beat the stuffing out of Ronon here? He's been beat pretty badly."

"Yes. I didn't want to knock him out like that, but the elves joined the fray, and I couldn't deal with the elves _and_ Ronon at the same time. I put Teyla out of commission after Ronon. How bad is he?"

"He's got a concussion, but he should make a full recovery. Why isn't Teyla here?"

"W-"

"Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's not here, it means that she wasn't beaten very badly at all. I just find it odd that he would be out cold, and she nothin worth comin here about."

"I shattered her rods with a single stroke, effectively removing her from the fray. I make it a rule to never hit a woman. Can we get this done already? I'm getting…twitchy because of my current surroundings. Bad memories. And no, I don't need a psychiatrist to examine me. Just do what you need to do, and be done, please."

"Ye seem to be in a bit of a rush, lad. What's wrong? Oh, if you could lay down on the scanner bed, over there, good."

"I was a lab experiment. They tortured me, and treated me like some sort of sub-human because of the things they had done to me. I was supposed to be the predecessor to a weapon. I don't know if the Omega project ever took off, but they forgot to program a 'fail-safe' into me. Because I am so strong, they needed a glaring weakness that they could exploit if I ever went rogue on them. I had no such weakness. I had been taught to be relatively docile while I was with them, but when I fell in with six other genetically modifieds, I learned to be savage when threatened. Still, I kept one vestige of my previous life with me: Honor. I read a lot of books, spent hours on the internet, and in general, absorbed as much information as I could. As I read, I decided that I wanted to be honorable, and the whole bit about not hitting women, even in a fight, went right along with that. When the whitecoats captured me again, four years later, I smashed needles that were brought to me for use, and whenever a male labtech came in to try, he exited pretty badly bruised as my mobility allowed. Women exited with a few scratches from the needle being removed, but I tried to never harm them. I was released three months later when Itex collapsed. From there I went to America, and I found the Cheyenne Mountain complex. Entry was remarkably easy, and after a couple weeks in a holding cell while they decided what to do with me, I was given a Stargate boot camp of sorts. After proving myself as a fighter, they decided to send me here."

"Do you have…wings, lad? Or is the scanner malfunctioning?"

"Yes, I have wings. Do you need a blood sample?"

"Aye, I need it for your baseline."

"Can I do I myself? I would feel better in some way if I did it myself, mainly because I would feel like I was in control."

The Scottish doctor handed Ajax two vials, and a needle apparatus. Within two minutes, Ajax had the vials filled, and the needle out. Holding his thumb over the site of entry, he handed the vials to Dr. Beckett.

"Thank ye very much. For all I've heard of your story, you've been rather cooperative. I can hardly get Major Sheppard in here long enough to check him over."

"Yeah, see ya 'round, doc." Ajax walked out, then came back, and stood by Ronon's bed. "I'm sorry I had to hit you that hard, Ronon." He walked out again, headed for the Gate Room. As he walked at a brisk trot, dodging the patterns that appeared and disappeared in the clumps of people in the halls, he was intercepted by Teyla Emmagen. As he trotted, she came out of a side hall, and fell into step with him.

"You dealt Ronon a good deal of damage." she noted quietly.

"Yeah." He kept going, intent on his destination.

"Yet I emerged from that fight with only a pair of stinging hands from your final stroke."

"So?" He slowed on account of the traffic approaching the Gate Room.

"You had many opportunities to strike, but you never did. You blocked every move I made, but never took advantage of the times I was exposed. Why?"

"My Code of Honor. One of the rules is to never hit a woman."

"You would do that even if a woman decided she would do all she could to kill you?"

"I would bat away her weapons, block her attacks, wear her down, but I would not strike back."

"What else does your code encompass?"

"Well, Rule No. 9 is to always wear a good pocketknife." his tone suggested that he was mildly joking, but his face suggested otherwise. Trotting up the stairs and turning right, he maneuvered his way through ops, and ran up the stairs to the Jumper bay. When he arrived, he heard Teyla right behind him. Picking up his bags from where they had been beamed to, he positioned them right over the bottom door. He ten went back down to ops. Walking over to one of the Lantean computers, he pushed a button, and yelled out "ROCK!" Two or three of the people had be climbing before coming to Atlantis, and instinctively lowered their heads. Seeing that his warning was not enough, he ran down to the same level as the 'gate, and yelled, "HEADS UP!" People looked up to see the door opening, and scrambled for cover. Ajax walked to where he estimated the bags would fall to, and waited. Suddenly, he heard the sound of fabric as it rolled slightly, and fell. Looking up, he could tell that he was not in the right place, and moved to intercept. The giant duffel fell in slow motion, and Ajax reached up towards it as it fell. Grabbing the side of it, he swung it to convert the downward force to sideways force, and slung it over his shoulder. A backpack followed the monstrous duffel, and he reached up and grabbed it with his free hand. Walking out, he miscalculated one of the steps, and decided to skip that set of stairs for the time being. Sheppard walked in moments before Ajax walked out, and he turned around, saying "What on earth do you have in there?"

"Memory in shock-proof cases. Ah, where are my quarters?"

"I'll show you…" The Major reversed course, and went back the way he had come. "Here we are" he said, sweeping his hand over the door control. The door opened, and Ajax walked in.

"Are there any standardized power outlets here? Or maybe a converter kit?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'll get McKay to come by with a universal. I've got to get to the Chair." he added, looking at his watch. He ran out.

_In the Gate Room:_ McKay walked up to the Jumper Bay, followed by the elves. Picking one of the Jumpers, he climbed in, and activated the systems. Closing the door, he maneuvered the Jumper down through the door, and waited for Atlantis to dial the 'gate. As soon as the vortex effect stabilized, Rodney dropped down, and moved through the 'gate.

["Atlantis. This is Rodney, I'm ready to start my work on the shield. I'll talk to you later. McKay out."]

"[Good luck, Rodney. We'll see you when we splashdown.]" The 'gate cut out, and Dr. Wier switched over to city-wide communications. "This is Dr. Wier. We are about to fly the city out of here, and go somewhere safe from the Wraith. It will be somewhat bumpy as we clear the atmosphere, so grab ahold of something, and hold on. The ride should smooth out as we clear the planet's atmosphere, then get kind of bumpy again as we enter the atmosphere of our new homeworld. Take us up, John." She switched off the city-wide. The city began to shake, gently at first, but more roughly as the Star Drive fully engaged. The cloak fell away, replaced by the shield that would hold the atmosphere inside the city. As the city rose, it shuddered under the strain from her ancient drive. Clearing the atmosphere, the ascent smoothed out considerably.

_In the Chair Room:_ "I think that's far enough." John muttered. Reaching around, through, and between a series of mental switches, he activated the hyper drive, sending Atlantis hurtling faster than light itself toward a planet on the other side of the galaxy. The trip would take about four day, but the _Daedalus_ was due to arrive in two.

_In Du Weldenvarden:_ "Probe." McKay said, holding out his hand behind him in anticipation of the probe being handed to him. "Probe!" McKay repeated, a little more insistently than before. "Oh, for crying out loud, do I have to do everything myself?" he extricated himself from the hole he was in, and picked up his probe. While he was out, he took a look at the timer. It showed two countdowns: One for Atlantis' arrival, and on for the _Daedalus'_ arrival. The latter countdown showed that he had less than eighteen hours left before the _Daedalus_ arrived. "I need more coffee. Where is everyone? I can't believe this. They need our help, and they can't be bothered to help me help them." The scientist walked towards Ellesméra, muttering unhappily to himself. No sooner had he walked away from his work than an elf came towards him with a relatively large flask.

"This should help." The elf said.

"Thank you." came the sincere response as he accepted the flask. He tilted it back, and took a swig. As the contents of the flask entered his mouth, his eyes bulged. "That's…strong" he croaked. "What is it?" he practically squeaked the last part out.

The elf tilted his head slightly, as if considering the scientist's reaction. "Faelnirv. Do you like it?"

"I won't be needing any coffee after all. I'd better get back to work…" he pointed to the unit he had been tampering with. Grabbing his probe, he wormed his way back into position, and continued his work.

_The balcony overlooking the 'North' side of Atlantis:_ "It's beautiful, isn't it?" murmured Dr. Wier.

"Yeah. When do you arrive?"

Dr. Wier smiled. "You're just like the kid in the backseat asking 'are we there yet?' "

"Maybe. I just don't like the idea of hanging here in space, and maybe a shield malfunctions, and we all die. I'm just pessimistic that way. I hate the idea of dying of suffocation."

"I could see how you would think that way." conceded Dr. Wier.

"I'm gonna go spar with Ronon or something. Maybe I can get my mind off this kind of subject."

"Do you really think that Ronon will spar with you after the last fight you had? Dr. Beckett still has him in the infirmary."

"Oh yeah…Well, I have a super computer to assemble. I guess I'll go do that."

"You have a supercomputer?" asked the incredulous Dr. Weir.

"Umm…yup. It even has data on Ancient power systems and Zero Point Modules. At least it did if it wasn't deleted before I left Stargate Command."

"You have information on that? I would very much like to see that information." she had switched in an instant from incredulous to hungry.

"Yeah, I've got the data, but I have to wait until someone can drop by with a 'Universal' power supply. Also, I'm not plugging those data cores in until we have done all the shaking and thudding and splashing, and whatever else is associated with landing a city from orbit. They are very sensitive. I designed them myself, and they can hold a whole bunch of data, but it is kinda like sand inside. The data is written in the sand, and if the sand gets disturbed, when it runs through the reader, some files are not in their proper places. It would take a couple days to reset all the grains so that everything could be found easily. As it is, there will be some memory displacement." He walked away.

"[Dr. Zelenka, this is Dr. Wier. Could you get one of those universal kits and bring it to Ajax's quarters? Thank you.]"

_In Rodney's lab:_ "Ugh, why do people seem to think I am a courier when I am quite clearly a scientist?" he continued on in Czech, muttering to himself about the injustices of life. Finding the universal power converter kit in question, he picked it up, and walked to the residential sector of Atlantis.

_Ajax's quarters:_ **Ping**: the door chime sounded to alert the occupant of the room that someone was at the door. With a grunt, Ajax picked himself up off the floor, and opened the door. "Yes?"

"I am here with the requested Universal power converter." replied Zelenka.

"Oh, good. I had thought Rodney was going to come by, but he had to 'gate to our destination before we left."

"Well, he left ME to take care of all of his research while he was away. And there is very much to do. I do not have time for it all." the Czech scientist walked away, headed back to the lab he had come from.

"Wait!" the scientist stopped for a moment. "Would you like some help? I am relatively familiar with Ancient systems."

"Yes. Yes, help would be very appreciated. Well, come with me."

_In the lab: _"…and you can work at this station over here, we've been having some anomalies in the power distribution grid…here…and here. I need you to get that fixed while i work on this over here…"

"Sounds good. I'll get right on it. Hey, all this stuff is in Lantean."

"What would you expect in a Lantean facility?"

"Touché. Besides, I can read it. The stuff on my machine was translated to English before I left Earth. Just for convenience, you know."

The city shuddered briefly, then was still. Quickly manipulating the computer in front of him, Ajax brought up sensor information. "We dropped out of hyperspace, and there is a Wraith cruiser hanging right over top of us."

"Just what we need. Now the secret is out."

"I've been engineering a work around with the shield/cloak thing. I think we can just flip on the cloak and have the shield as well. The problem is that the shield keeps the atmosphere in, and when we engage the cloak, the shield will still be visible. Actually, the shield is invisible, but the effects are visible. The main problem is getting rid of the cruiser."

**Well, Master of the Blood Wolves, there's your answers. At least one, anyway. It will be harder than just an average 'removal' of wicked people. As for Ajax, your question was answered in this chapter about WHAT he is.**


	7. Voyager

_I have decided to spice things up a bit. Ah, who am I kidding, I'm gonna spice it up a lot! Expect to see crossovers with (but not limited to): H20:Just Add Water, Maximum Ride, Star Trek: Voyager, and others besides. (The others besides may not materialize, but these three are set in stone, just not yet.)_

_Rodney's lab:_ "How do you intend to get rid of that Wraith cruiser?" asked Zelenka

"Hmm. I'm gonna noodle that for a bit. See ya later." Ajax walked out, deep in thought. Struck by an idea, he started walking with purpose, ending up in the Jumper bay. Walking into the Jumper, he sat down in the pilot's seat, but nothing happened. Frowning, Ajax got back up, and went to Sickbay.

"Carson, do you have a way to give ATA to people without it?"

"Ajax! What brings you here?" came the cordial greeting. "I hadn't been expecting to see you back in here ever again after you had told me your story."

"I trust you. That's saying a lot. My reason for coming here was to see if you had a way to allow people to control the Lantean tech."

"I do have a phage that I can introduce to your bloodstream to induce ATA. Are you sure you want that?"

"Trust me, I'm sure."

"Well, I have a few doses left." the doctor walked over to one of the refrigerators, muttering to himself. "Ah! Here we go." Handing the vial to Ajax along with a needle, he said, "There! One dose of that, and you should be able to initialize Ancient tech."

Ajax gritted his teeth, and injected himself with the phage. "Did I ever mention that I hate needles?" he asked after removing the needle.

"You may have mentioned it. Now, why would you voluntarily inject yourself if you hate needles?"

"I do what needs to be done. There's a Wraith cruiser hanging over top of us, and I don't need him to live much longer. Now I just need to test this, and see what comes next."

Running to the Jumper bay, he slowed to a stop, and waited for his heart rate to slow. When it had normalized, he took a deep breath, and entered one of the Jumpers. This time, one by one, the lights came on, and when he sat, all the systems came alive. Standing up, he exited the Jumper, and the lights flicked off. Running down the stairs, he said "Dr. Wier. I have a way to take care of that cruiser."

"Really?" The nervous smile on her face showed her doubt.

"Yeah, I'll need every pilot in Jumpers, and I'll also need someone to fire what drones we have here on Atlantis. What I need is for the pilots to cloak the Jumpers before they even leave the bay, and take random positions around the cruiser, no pilot taking the same general area. At that point, everybody fires at once, and the cruiser doesn't know where to fire at. If we are lucky, we even manage to blow up the cruiser under the weight of our combined fire."

"But we don't have a way to get more."

"Not right now, but we have four fully loaded ZPMs; we'll be fine."

"Fine. Try it, maybe we'll get lucky."

"I make my own luck."

"Well, good luck anyway. You might need it."

"Thanks. "[Sheppard? This is Ajax. I need you to fire every last drone we have. Hopefully, we have enough to take that cruiser apart.]"

["You want me to throw every last drone we have at that ship, and hope it goes away?"]

"[Yeah, basically.]"

["You're sure about this?"]

"[Yeah, we still have the Jumper's drones]"

["You're crazy."]

"[Thank you, sir.]"

["Not a compliment"]

"[Well, thank you!]"

["I'm hanging up now"]

"He says 'good luck with that.' Personally, I don't blame him."

_On the bridge of _Voyager_:_ "Report!" called Kathryn Janeway, walking onto the bridge.

"We are being pulled into an anomaly by some sort of tractor beam. It's interfering with the warp core, and we won't be able to break free, captain." replied ensign Kim.

"Onscreen." The computer chirped, and the anomaly showed on the viewer.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" asked Chakotay.

"It seems to have an event horizon, much like a wormhole. We won't be able to find out where it goes, however. My sensors are starting to give me random readings." Ensign Kim finished his diagnosis of the situation.

"Captain, I recommend that we attempt to turn, and fly into it. We may be to make the ride smoother that way." The carefully modulated voice belonged to her security officer, Lieutenant Tuvok.

"I guess it can't hurt to try. Tom. Lay in a course for the event horizon, half impulse power."

"Yes, Ma'am." Tom Paris eagerly accepted the order, and proceeded to lay in the requested course.

"What do you think, Chakotay? Is this the right thing to do?" The captain was now seated in her chair, whispering with her first officer.

"I think so. That - that whatever it is, would have dragged us in sooner or later. If we die, at least it will be a smoother ride." This last was said with a smile.

"Very funny, Chakotay. I wonder where it will take us."

"I don't know. I guess we will find out soon enough, won't we?"

"Yes. I just can't help but wonder."

_Above? Atlantis:_ "What is your status?" asked the queen.

"We have the city locked in our scopes, but they have shields raised, and there are strange readings coming from directly above us. It could be reinforcements."

"Well?"

"It appears to be a ship, well armed, and faster than our ship can go at sublight."

"Hauuugh! Very well, get us out of here. This never happened."

"Understood."

_On Atlantis:_ "[Sheppard! If you haven't already fired those drones, don't bother. The cruiser is turning to leave, and has not transmitted any signals to other Wraith ships.]"

["Well, that's good, but why are they leaving in such a hurry?"]

"[I don't know, but we are getting some strange readings. I think we should stay for a bit, and wait to see what happens. It could explain why the ship left.]"

_On the bridge of _Voyager_:_ The image was drawing closer as _Voyager_ approached. Suddenly, there was a flash of white light, and the bridge crew covered their eyes. When they looked again, the image had been replaced by what looked like a tunnel composed of strips of blue in varying hues. The strips glowed like stars as seen from warp, and after a few seconds, the ship rocked as a tremendous shock was applied to it. The tunnel was gone. In it's place hung a ship of design so strange, that the Federation had never seen such a ship. There was a bubble of shield around it, and as the crew watched, the shield deformed to allow Voyager access to one of the city-ship's piers.

"Captain, we are receiving a hail. Audio only." Tuvok's well-modulated tones again were heard on the bridge.

"Put it through." the computer chirped, and there was a slight static distortion. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Starship _Voyager_. We mean you no harm."

"Understood, and we are grateful to know that. Your arrival drove away a Wraith cruiser, defusing what could have been an otherwise tense standoff in which we negotiate for our lives." The voice on the other end was unmistakably feminine, and suggested friendliness.

"Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Janeway asked, piqued.

"My name is Dr. Elizabeth Wier. I am the leader of the Atlantis expedition. We were on our way to a new planet on which to settle. We stopped here because a Wraith cruiser was waiting in ambush for us, and they forced us out of hyperspace."

"Hyperspace? Is that another term for 'warp'?"

"No…Perhaps you would like to come to Atlantis. We can reform the shield around your ship after you land, and we can get underway."

"Give me a minute." The connection was muted, and Janeway asked her senior staff to join her in her ready room. As they filed in, they saw a new person on the ship. His face was not new to them, and they all recognized him for who he was.

"Q" Chakotay stated the obvious.

"Yes, quite observant of you. I came to tell you in person exactly where you are, and that you won't ever return home as you know it."

His announcement stunned the crew.

"What?" was all that Captain Janeway could manage.

"That's right. You won't be getting back home as you know it. You have shifted realities, and you are now in the Earth year 2010. You are in the Pegasus Galaxy, even farther from home than you were in the Delta Quadrant. At least there, you were in the Milky Way Galaxy. Now, I am here to tell you that I am not allowed to bring you back to your reality, and that any attempts to return to your reality will fail. I am allowed to help you by giving you some valuable information, however. The method of travel in this reality is called hyperspace. It is similar to that slip space test that you ran a while back. It will disrupt your warp core when activated, and if left unchecked, would force a core ejection. However, any attempt to remove something from an object in hyperspace will result in an explosion. There would only be the choice of whether or not the core is in the ship when you die.

"There is a hostile species here, known as the Wraith. They feed on humans through their right hand. They are hyperspace capable, but due to the organic nature of their ships, they must drop out of hyperspace every four hours to regenerate the outer hull of the ship. Atlantis, the city you saw on the view screen not that long ago, is of Ancient design, and is about 100,000 years old. Despite that, she is still alive and well. A few of her lower levels have water damage from where the shields collapsed to save the city before the failsafe engaged, but otherwise, the city is clean, and well lit. Some of the technology requires the ATA gene as it is called, to operate. The shuttles are one such example. Other pieces of technology only need to be initialized to operate. The computers in the control room are an example of this. The shield that keeps Atlantis' atmosphere inside will wrap around your ship should you choose to accept their invitation. After your ship is completely surrounded by the shield, and the outer edge of the shield has cleared your ship by several meters, the bubble around your ship will dissolve, and you will be free to exit your ship."

"I will be allowed to make a visit now and again to help out, but the Continuum will strip me of my powers should I try to bring you back to the reality you so cherish." Having finished his miniature speech, Q snapped his fingers, and vanished.

"Do you think we should go with them, or try to make it on our own?" Janeway thought she knew the answer, and would have carried through with it anyway, but she wanted the opinions of her senior staff.

"We should go with them. They will be able to give us the technology required to return to Earth, or to assist them if the require it." The logical path was highlighted almost immediately.

"We should go with them. They seem friendly enough, and if I recall correctly, the Prime Directive no longer applies, seeing as how that is in the future." Harry Kim finished, and sat.

"I think we should go with them." Chakotay said. "They may be able to help us replenish our energy stores for the Replicators. We would be able to settle down to a degree. I think the crew would like that, considering our current situation." Having finished, Chakotay sat, watching the rest of the room.

"They might need my piloting skills." Paris put in.

"It's settled, then." Janeway said, pleased that her crew agreed with her. "We go with them."

Returning to the bridge, Janeway nodded towards Tuvok, who turned on the comm. "We've decided to go with you." Janeway said.

"Good. We'd be glad to have you aboard. Wier out." There was a tone, and the communications link was severed. A moment later, and craft exited from the central tower, and Tuvok said: "We're being hailed. Audio only. It is the small vessel that is approaching us."

"Very well. This is Captain Janeway. What do you need?"

"I'm here to guide you to your spot on the pier. Artificial gravity in that section is temporarily offline, so as to help you land. Just follow the Jumper, and you'll be fine." The audio link cut out.

"Paris. You heard the man. Follow that…'Jumper'."

"Yes. Ma'am" Paris' hands flew over the console, and a moment later, he said "All set, Captain. I put the ship on autopilot, to make sure everything goes the way it should."

"Engage."

The landing legs slowly extended from the belly of the ship, and _Voyager _slowly moved with the Jumper to settle on the pier in perfect position. Tom disengaged the autopilot, and the Jumper moved away, headed back toward the central tower. It disappeared from view, and the bridge watched with their collective breath held, waiting as the shield reformed around the ship, moving back into it's original shape. The bubble of shield around the ship vanished like smoke, and the computer registered that external gravity was at 1gee. Atmosphere was breathable, and the doors could be opened without fear.

"Tuvok, Chakotay, Paris, you're with me. Kim, get the Doctor and B'Elanna, and meet us in the starboard airlock."

Variations of "Yes, Ma'am" were wafted upon the air of the bridge, and the captain smiled. "I guess this is home, now."

_Author's note: Ok, so it ended slightly sappy, but I had a random burst of inspiration, and it happened to fall out that way. That said, I refuse to apologize for it.  
_

_ Answers to Readers: Master of the Blood Wolves: I have no clue what a B-K... is, but yes, you don't want to meet Ajax in a back alley at night. That is, if you are a criminal or a threat to his continued freedom. No, it's not that easy, sorry, no space fight, I couldn't orchestrate such a thing when I get hit with 30 megajoules of randomness mixed with inspiration. I'll try to keep this one relatively sane. In the previous chapter, you mentioned that the color of the fourth book is confirmed green. I'm going to use that._


	8. Arrival

_Author's note: Disclaimer: I do not own, Inheritance Cycle, Stargate: Atlantis, or Star Trek: Voyager. They belong to their owners, and if I owned them, I would have lots of money from the shows, and would be writing this here anyway, just for my entertainment. As it is, this is for the entertainment of myself and my readership only, no money was obtained from the making of this story. If Somebody feels like suing, please don't. I don't have any money. With that said, I am introducing Acceleracers into this story. The actual storyline for Acceleracers is irrelevant, but you might like to have an idea of some of the vehicles being driven. _

Rodney found the button he was looking for at long last, and when he touched it, a crystal tray slid out from the nearby cliff. Pulling out his tablet computer, he began running through all the systems, finally finding what he was searching for. Pulling the tablet's crystal out, he reached over, and pulled the fifth crystal on the right. The entire tray went dark. Looking at his watch he saw that the _Daedalus_ was due to pass through the shield zone within one minute, after receiving confirmation from Rodney that the shield was down.

"_Daedalus_, this is McKay, the shield is down, feel free to enter."

["Rodger that, McKay. _Daedalus_ out."]

Suddenly feeling very tired, Rodney closed the tray, and walked towards the consol where he had left all of his equipment.

"More Faelnirv?" queried the elf watching him.

"No, thanks. I just need to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." So saying, the worn-out scientist walked into the Jumper, and closed the door behind him. Laying out his sleeping bag on one of the benches, he cloaked the Jumper, closed the middle door, and went to sleep.

Eight hours later, his watch began beeping, and Rodney rolled over, forgetting the fact that he was still in the Jumper, and not in his room on Atlantis. "OW! Son of a " Rodney proclaimed. "Oh, that hurt. Opening the doors, he uncloaked the Jumper, and prepared for the day.

An elf stood outside, near the console that Rodney had been working on. He was one of two elves assigned by Islanzadí to assist him. Inclining his head towards the rather rumpled McKay, he said "Good morning. Will you be needing assistance today?"

"No, actually, yes. Since my work here is done, I thought I could look around your capital city?"

"You may. I presume you wish me to be your guide."

_On Atlantis:_ "Go ahead and take us back into hyperspace, John. I'm sure that our guests will want some time to settle down before coming inside."

"Right away. You know, I can't wait to get there, and have Rodney put the shield back up."

"Hmm, agreed. Those people have never felt the Wraith before, and should never have to in the future."

_On the bridge of Voyager:_ The members of the staff that Janeway had indicated followed her into the turbo lift, and turned around to face the door. "Deck Twelve." with a beep, the turbo lift began to move, and Janeway decided to not make an impression of being guarded. She knew Tuvok couldn't act any other way; it was only logical, but the phasers would be left behind. "Should we adapt to their uniform, Chakotay?"

"I think that would be best left to the crew." Chakotay answered, after a moment's hesitation.

The doors hissed open, and Janeway strode out in the lead, not anxious to get to her destination, but wearing her 'leader of my people' look. In the corridor, B'Elanna and the Doctor joined the group making first contact. Upon reaching the deck of the city, Janeway waited a moment for the rest of the group to get down the ladder. Having made it clear that there were to be no phasers carried, Kathryn was pleased to see that the members she had chosen had left their sidearms behind, Tuvok included. "I think we go that way." she said, pointing at the center of the city. Before anyone could move towards the central spires of the city however, the was a slight lurch, and a blue tunnel seemed to open up directly over head.

"What was that?" Torres asked, worried about the lurch.

"It would seem that the city has 'jumped' into 'hyperspace'." Tuvok calmly replied. "It is admittedly a brighter method of faster-than-light travel."

"You said it. Now, let's meet our new family." Captain Janeway strode towards the center of the city, deep in thought.

_Ajax's personal quarters:_ Ajax was casually hanging upside down, reading 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy. There was a knock on the door, and not particularly caring who was at the door, he called out "Come in!", and turned the page. Major Sheppard stalked in. Seeing Ajax hanging upside down, reading **his** book, he asked "Where's my book? I could have sworn I left it on the table next to my bed."

Ajax looked over, well, under, the book, and said "I haven't the faintest idea. I think Rodney might have taken it before he left?"

"No. Dice. I know for a fact that the book you are holding right now is my book, and you hanging upside down while reading it is not going to distract me as much as you thought it would. In fact, get down. Stand or sit, I don't care, but at least pretend to be affected by gravity. And give me my book back. I'm behind schedule." This last was so petulant, like a little kid, that Ajax once again looked away from the book, and said, "Fine. Here you go. I guess I'm going to go to the Gate Room; I heard that we have a new addition to the base." So saying, Ajax performed an in-air flip, and landed. Handing Sheppard his book, he left the room.

_In the Gate Room:_ Dr. Wier swiped her hand over the door controls for the balcony. Stepping out, she looked up, and was lost in the beauty of it for a couple moments. Looking out over the city, she saw where _Voyager_ had touched down, and saw that a group of six people in Starfleet uniforms approaching. Walking back inside, she took a transporter, and stepped out on the same level as the deck. Walking over to the door leading to the outside, she opened the door, and stepped out, waiting for the six people to arrive. When they did, she opened the door, and said "Welcome to Atlantis. As you already know, I am Dr. Elizabeth Wier. When she turned to look at her guests, she received the biggest shock of her life. **Woolsey was wearing a Starfleet uniform, and did not seem to recognize her!** "Woolsey." She barely said the name. Closing the door behind her, she went over to the 'closet' and stepped inside.

"How interesting." Noted the dark officer. "They must have some sort of variant on the transporter."

"Tuvok." the Captain murmured. The desired effect was reached, and the Vulcan ceased talking. Once everyone was inside, Dr. Wier reached over to the panel just as Captain Janeway instinctively ordered "Bridge." There was no beep, but Dr. Wier looked up in surprise. At not hearing a beep, and the doors not closing, Kathryn turned, and asked "Dr. Wier? Is your turbo lift broken?"

Dr. Wier smiled then, and replied, "No, we have a touch screen in the panel, here." she touched the screen, and the doors to the panel closed, followed by the doors to the transporter. A second later, the doors opened again.

"This design is very efficient, Dr. Wier." noted the Vulcan.

"Thank you. Here we are." Dr. Wier swept her arm over the area in question. "This is Atlantis' nerve center. We refer to it as the Gate Room because of the Stargate. Directly above the area in front of the 'gate is the Jumper bay; there is a door to allow a jumper to drop down and go through the 'gate. Over here is the Control area, and my office is directly beyond it. Over here we have the conference room. I'm expecting to more people to arrive in a moment. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Ajax walked up the steps, and seeing the party, decided to act the way he felt a good host should. "Would you like anything to drink before we start? Coffee? Tea? Chocolate milk?"

Janeway perked up at the mere mention of coffee, and decided to take him up on his offer. "Coffee would be wonderful. I haven't had any real coffee since we ran out, and Neelix's coffee substitute passes for nothing but Talaxian coffee substitute."

Tuvok had been intrigued by the words chocolate milk; "What is 'Chocolate milk'?"

"It is milk with chocolate in it. Would you like some?"

"I will try it."

"Good. Anybody else?"

Everyone shook their heads, and Ajax jumped off the second level of the Gate Room, drifting on stilled wings.

"Is everyone like that?" the Doctor asked, fascinated.

"No, he's pretty special. We don't have anyone else like him."

"I would like to examine him at a later point."

Upon touchdown, Ajax kept the toes of his shoes pointed upward, and he rolled out of the Gate Room.

Meanwhile, Teyla and Sheppard were busy finding their seats and settling in before the conference started. Dr. Beckett came, and John expressed regret that the 'invaluably brilliant Dr. Rodney McKay' could not be present. Likewise, Teyla apologized for Ronon's absence from the conference, but without the sarcasm that John had when apologizing for Rodney's absence.

"Yeah, sorry about that" Ajax said, referring to Ronon. "We were kind of in a fight, and I had to incapacitate him so I could focus on the three other antagonists. I lost in the end, but Ronon took the brunt of my blows."

"Why would you seek to disable him in such a way if he is a member of this crew? It would seem to be counter-productive."

"Well, …did I catch your name?"

"I never threw my name. My name is Tuvok."

"Well, Tuvok, I think he would have rather have it this way. He is the warrior type, and doesn't like to sit still in 'safe' environments. We spar to relieve the pressure of sitting around twiddling our thumbs. People like Carson here, or Rodney, who is setting up for our arrival, don't need to fight. Carson wishes we wouldn't, but I think he prefers that to people going mad. Rodney prefers to rebuild an OS any time of the day or night, and fights only when his back is against the wall, or his friends are in danger. Ronon hates to sit still, and I think he prefers recuperating and dreaming of revenge to sitting at a conference table, waiting for Atlantis to land so he can go do what he does best: fight."

"Your argument is sound."

"How did you get those wings? Are you the only one like this?"

"Doctor, for your own safety, I recommend that you cease that line of questioning. My past is…a delicate subject, and I would rather not bring it up. Suffice it to say that I was an experiment."

"I'm horrified, and…I'm sorry I asked."

"S'all right. Tuvok, here's your chocolate milk, and for you ma'am, coffee. Steaming hot, and black. I have creamer and sugar here if you would like."

"No. Black is perfect." The Captain took a sip, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Ah, now this is good coffee."

Everyone went into the conference room, and as Ajax entered, the doors rotated behind him, and the lights brightened inside the Lantean conference tables. Just as everyone had settled, there was a slight shudder, and the lights brightened for a moment.

"I don't mean to sound obsessive or anything, but what was that?" B'Elanna asked.

"We're here. I've got to get to the Chair. Hopefully we can get this done quickly so the Wraith don't show up until the shield is up again." So saying, Sheppard got to his feet, and walked out the now-open doors.

"Well. Seeing as how we won't be doing the conference right now, would any of you like to accompany me to the balcony? I fully intend to watch the city land from there."

"I'll go with you." said Janeway.

"So, what's your story?" Dr. Wier asked, after the balcony door closed behind them.

"We were flung by some sort of pulse out of the Badlands in the Alpha Quadrant all the way into the Delta Quadrant. By our methods of propulsion, it would have taken us over 80 years to get back. We've had help from time to time, at least twice we were boosted by ten years or more in terms of distance traveled. What's yours?"

"Well, we had found an ancient ring in the sands of Egypt. It was the Stargate. It is not as advanced looking as the one here, and takes longer to dial, but it works, and we got here. We've been here for about two years now, and the Wraith have taught us a thing or two about the dangers of intergalactic exploration. We got some information on the planet we are at now about two months back, on a Lantean vessel by the name of _Aurora_. The crew had been in stasis for a few thousand years, but even with stasis they had aged considerably. They decided to self destruct the ship when they learned that a Wraith cruiser had sent an operative aboard to learn about the hyper drive so they could make improvements to their own. Before they did that, however, the captain of the ship gave Sheppard a data crystal, and told him that the planet was protected by a massive shield. This shield is powered by a great forest, and lets nothing inside except light. We moved here because it would appear that it is the safest place in the galaxy. We traded our help to the people there in exchange for letting us come and settle here. They agreed, and here we are." The city rocked a little, then a bit harder. "I'm sorry about the movement. John had said that the inertial dampers would hamper his landing; that he needed to feel the effect of the air on the city in order to be able to land properly." The city shook harder than before, as if to punctuate her statement. After a final, minor shake, Atlantis seemed to level off, and descend quieter than before. Atlantis made a whole orbit of the planet on her way down, finally making splashdown in the waters twenty miles off of Fienster. She bobbed with the waves, dispelling the massive forces of momentum. Ten minutes later, Ajax walked out onto the balcony, followed by Ronon, Teyla, and the five members of the 'first contact' team.

"I thought Ronon was beaten to a pulp during that fight."

"I healed him…mostly. There are still a few wounds, but he seems better now. I left to recuperate in Sickbay until now because I figured that he would be less bored concentrating on getting back to 'battle ready' status rather than twiddle his thumbs for a week. It was merciful in a weird way.

"I'm glad to be out of there. What's the mission?"

"Oh, just an insane king that needs killing."

_Answers to Readers: _

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I have no clue about Jack West jr., or about Shane Schofield. As for your request, I thought the writer was the one in control! Just kidding, I was going to get there soon anyway, Ajax has a computer to set up!_


	9. Earthbound Events

_Ah, the joys of a fresh, blank word processor page. There's nothing like it-am I live?*yes, you're on.* Why didn't you tell me, oh, never mind. Ah, um, let's get going with the story! *dashes off the set*_

_The Varden camp near Feinster:_ "What was that?" asked Lady Nasuada, hearing the rumble.

"I have no clue." responded Eragon. "I felt a multitude overhead, but it passed quickly. Do you want me and Saphira to find out what it was?"

Lady Nasuada thought about it for a moment, then, "Yes, and come back if you sense even the slightest danger."

"Yes, M'Lady." Eragon walked out of the tent, and went around, climbing up Saphira's leg before she could even get her head out of the tent with as little damage as possible.

"_Do you have to do that?_" she complained with a smile.

Knowing that she liked it, he responded in kind. "_As a matter of fact, I did._"

"_Humph. We'll see about that._" She flung herself into the sky with a dizzying jump, and stabilized before falling too far.

Looking around, Eragon saw a city with bright blue lights under it, and a trail of light smoke following it.

As Saphira banked to follow it, he attempted to probe the interior. It was already too far away, and his mental probe petered out well short of the flying city. Seeing how fast it was going, he realized that Saphira would never be able to catch it, and as he looked up to study the trail, he saw a sparkling across the sky, and then the sparkling vanished. Puzzled, he told Saphira to land, and relayed what he had seen to Lady Nasuada.

"This phenomenon should be treated with caution, but I think we can continue with our campaign against the Empire."

"Good. I wonder what Galbatorix is thinking right now?"

_The castle in Uru'Baen:_ "_Shruiken! What was that rumble? There is nothing I can think of that would create such a rumble. I know that it can't be the rebels; they don't have enough power to be able to shake the ground like that, and only a strong magician like myself could do that - in a localized area. Would you find out what that was, Shruiken?_"

With a grunt, the black dragon got up, and proceeded to batter most of Uur'Baen with the wind from his wings. Seeing a flying city, he relayed what he saw to Galbatorix as a picture. He knew that Galbatorix wanted details, and quickly, so a picture was the best method.

_Atlantis:_ The last order of business was to deploy the anchor system, so that the city wouldn't rove the seas with the currents. Once that was done, John sat up, and left the Chair Room.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" John asked, walking out onto the balcony.

"Yes it is. No matter where, Atlantis is always beautiful when resting on the seas." Elizabeth replied.

"Heck with resting on the sea, she's beautiful any day of the week."

"mm."

"Hey." Ajax said. "We have 4 ZPMs. We only need three, and I was wondering if I could personally take the fourth to Stargate Command?"

"Sure. It will be good to be able to go directly to the SGC and get back right away if necessary."

"Yo, someone on 'gate dialing, I need Earth!" The 'gate was dialed as soon as Ajax got back from McKay's lab with the ZPM. As soon as the 'gate's event horizon stabilized, Ajax radioed for confirmation that the iris was open on the other end. Upon confirmation, he gave a jaunty wave to the people in the Gate Room, and stepped through. As soon as he came out on the other end, he stepped forward, and grabbed the railing that led up the ramp to the 'gate.

"Welcome back to Earth" General 'O Neil said.

"Yeah." Ajax half waved toward the open window. After a few moments, he straightened up and said "Happy Birthday, Christmas, Saint Patrick's Day, Memorial Day…fill in the remaining blanks. The point is, I'm here to give you…This!" He held up the ZPM.

"Is that…?"

"Yup, and fully charged too!" He came down the ramp, and handed it to one of the 'gate guards. "Anyway, I've got to go, there's business that requires my attention. See ya!" So saying, what looked to be a horizontal beam of light ran through him, and he twisted as he fell to the ground. When the light disappeared, Bassline stood in his place. Turning the music up all the way, the vehicle raced out of the building, eventually coming out of the tunnel leading into the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The guards walking back and forth across the road never had a chance. Once moment, they hear a very loud rendition of 'Metal Machine', then a miniature pickup truck comes racing out. They never even had time to aim their weapons at it. Ajax smugly rounded the corner, and continued on his way. Finally, he pulled to a stop near Pikes Peak Community College. Again the Beam of light ran through him, and in the place of the pickup was Ajax. Taking flight, he began scanning for large concentrations of Erasers, or six mutant bird children. Seeing none, he began to fly North and East, headed for Virginia. He had not flapped twice before he heard a voice inside his head. "_Fly south, and west. Aim for Mexico City. Your targets are there._" Mentally acknowledging the guide, he took a bearing for Mexico City. A pseudo hyperspace window opened in front of him, and he flew out of the tunnel over Mexico City. Seeing a shot, he triangulated the position of the shooter, and morphed into a small working replica of _Voyager_. Flying towards the shooter, he attracted some attention shifting the focus of fire. Dropping a photon torpedo towards the shooter, he scanned for more. Finding none, he returned to his familiar form of Ajax.

"Ajax? What are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too, Max."

"That doesn't answer the question. What are you doing here?"

"Well, a moment ago, I was taking out a shooter. I actually came to ask if you would be willing to come to Australia with me. From there, I've got a ride lined up that can get you guys out of reach of the whitecoats permanently. So, my question to you is, Will you come with?"

"Not without Fang."

Ajax grew concerned "I thought Fang was here."

"No, the sixth bird-kid here is Nicole. She prefers the name 'Icebird' however."

"Interesting. I guess I need to find Fang. Tell you what. Meet me in NYC, I'll have Fang with me. If he's not with me, then I've failed to convince him to come with me. See ya." So saying, Ajax morphed into a T-38 trainer, and took a bearing for the North. He flew on for several hours, until hunger forced him to land and seek food. He was near the border of Canada, and he found a Burger King. Eating quickly, he left, continuing North. After crossing into Saskatchewan, he swerved towards the West, and ended up in Yellowknife, in the Northern Territories. Here he stayed the night, knowing that Fang was nearby.

The next morning, he woke, and began searching the city for a relatively tall black-clothing kid. He described Fang to the citizens of Yellowknife as 'wears black, and is tall enough to be an excellent basketball player. Keeps to the shadows for the most part, and looks relatively dangerous' One of the people he talked to had seen him, and knew where Fang had his hideout. Thanking the man for the information, he explained that he was on Federal business, and that he needed Fang for a final covert ops mission. After grabbing dinner, he went to his hotel room, and slept soundly 'til dawn. Upon waking, he grabbed breakfast on the go, and located Fang's hideout. Seeing Fang's stuff, Ajax knew he was in the right place. There had been a single alert string that had to be tripped no matter what when someone entered. It didn't do much, but it jangled a bunch of silverware. Waiting in Fang's lair, he pulled out a book and began to read. Not wanting to appear rude to the Australians, he was reading about their culture, habits, so on and so forth. Around noon, he heard the silverware jangle, and he closed the book, waiting for Fang to get to him.

"Yo, Fang."

Fang practically jumped out of his skin, then tried to strangle Ajax.

"Dude, stop, I'm a friend. You're…choking…me." he choked out.

"Who are you?" Fang whispered, easing up a bit.

"Ajax."

Fang let go of him. "But, I thought you were dead."

"Nope. I would have been if you had kept up with your choke maneuver. Look, I came here to offer you a way to evade the whitecoats forever."

"Will I be able to stop them?"

"No, but where I'm going has clean air, no factories, primitive medicine except on Atlantis."

"Atlantis?"

"As in, The Lost City of. Yes. I need your warrior skills, Fang. You see, there is this race of beings, humanoid, that feed on human life. They are called the Wraith. There is only one world with people on it in the Pegasus Galaxy that has never been culled by the Wraith. That's where I'm headed. Will you come with me?"

"I can't. Max will be waiting for me near the cave where we learned to fly with the hawks."

"Not if you come with. She's coming as well."

"WHAT!" Fang looked like he was about to strangle Ajax again.

"Yup. I told her that I, as the voice of reason, would try and get you to come with us, but she's set on going whatever happens."

"What will we be doing there?"

"Saving humanity in a warrior-like fashion."

"I need time to think about this."

"Well," Ajax consulted his watch. "It's ten after twelve, so you have about eighteen hours in which to decide. I'm leaving for NYC at six sharp tomorrow morning. Once I arrive there, the Flock and I will catch a plane to Australia. We will be irrevocably gone by the time the eclipse ends. I'll leave you to think. Meet me outside the hotel tomorrow morning if you decide to come." Having finished what he wanted to say, Ajax stood. But Fang stopped him.

"Wait. You say that Max and the whole Flock will be there?"

Ajax nodded.

"And in the end, we won't have to fear the whitecoats or Erasers ever again?"

Again, he nodded.

"what is it exactly that we are saving the world from?"

"The Wraith. They will destroy this world if they can. They feed on humans, resulting in the human being fed upon aging extremely rapidly, before dying. It is extremely painful, from what I heard. Our bases world is safe from the Wraith due to a massive planetary shield, and we will be either on Atlantis itself, or, on the mainland."

"I'll go."

"Great. Do you want to leave tomorrow at the appointed time, or earlier?"

"Let me get my stuff together, and we can leave in five."

"Good 'nuff. We are supposed to rendezvous with the Flock near the Ground Zero monument. We are flying in a private jet, with no outsiders on board, so everything will be quite literally private. I'm flying it."

Fang finished packing, and the two left, headed for NYC.

_NYC, The Ground Zero Monument:_ "Their supposed to be here in about five minutes." Ajax said, noticing Fang's distinct look of discomfort. Moodily staring at the monument, Ajax waited. The people milling about paid them no mind, it was common for people to mourn there, some even more demonstrative than this. When Max arrived, she tapped him twice on the shoulder. He turned, just as she said "Who did you lose?" The question was a failsafe, if she accidentally tapped the wrong one, it wouldn't seem terribly out of place. "I didn't know any of them personally, but I mourn their deaths, and can't wait to see the organizations responsible for this act of war brought to justice." Ajax responded, deceptively calm. "Let's go."

_At the airport:_ "I'm with the SGC, and I'm taking the plane with the call letters D-GEAR." Ajax said.

"May I see your badge?" the lady at the desk asked.

Ajax fished around in his pocket for it, coming up with the badge relatively quickly considering all the crap that was in his pocket. "Here."

She looked at it, comparing the photo with the person standing in front of her. "And your business with these other people?"

"I'm under orders to transport them to Australia. From there, I am to meet up with another agent. It's a matter of the greatest importance."

"You check out." She said, looking at her computer. "Do you know where the plane is?"

"Yes."

"Very good, I'll have someone from security go with you anyway, and you are aware that you have permission for immediate take-off?"

"I was not aware of that. The time-table must have moved up." He looked at his watch worriedly.

"All right, you're good to go. Good bye."

The group walked out onto the tarmac, led by a security member. "There she is." he said, pointing. A gleaming black Learjet sat half shadow, waiting for someone to take her up. Grabbing the handle on the door, Ajax swung it open on well oiled hinges. Flipping the steps down, he stepped back, and waited as the others filed in, taking their seats. Climbing in, he flipped the steps in, and closed the door. Satisfied that it had locked, he went forward to the cockpit, and turned back saying "Fang? I need you to be my co-pilot during takeoff, and when you come up here, could you bring at least two of those bottled MTN Dew?"

Fang didn't say anything, merely grabbed the sodas in question, and brought a Dr. Pepper for himself.

While Fang had been getting ready, Ajax had been flipping switches, and jockeying the control levers; methodically going through the start checklist. Satisfied, he started the engines, and began to taxi out. "Tower, this is Delta-GEAR. I've been told I have clearance for immediate takeoff? Over."

"Roger that, Delta-GEAR. You have clearance for immediate takeoff on Runway 02. Over."

"Roger that, and thank you. Over."

Taxiing out to 02, he turned into the wind, revved the engines. Setting flaps for 35 degrees, he released the brakes, and rammed the throttles to the top, where he held it for a couple seconds before pulling it down to 85 percent of full power. Once the brakes were released, the plane rocked back slightly, before surging ahead, eager to be in the sky. Once the plane was clear of the pavement, Ajax retracted the gear, and wound the flaps back to 15 degrees. The Learjet screamed into the skies, heading North.

"Delta-GEAR, you are clear of my airspace, over."

"Roger that, Tower. Out."

The Lear banked sharply, heading 120. Having leveled off, Ajax set the autopilot, and began listening to music through his headphones. Because they were plugged into the flight computer, any alarms would go directly to his headphones, and he could deal with the situation quickly. "Thanks for sittin' up here, Fang. If you want to go back with the others, you can. I just needed to look like I have a copilot."

Fang nodded sharply, and left, quiet as he came.

Ajax relaxed, and allowed the plane to fly herself. His flight plan had been carefully inputted, so there was no danger that the craft would veer off course. Ten hours later, the timer beeped, and he realized that he needed to call the Australian tower, and alert them to his presence. He was on standard approach paths, so he wasn't worried about a volley of missiles, but called anyway.

"Yo, anybody listening, this is an American airplane, call sign Delta-GEAR. Please respond."

"Delta-GEAR, this is Australian territory. Do you formally ask permission to cross our borders, or do you turn back? Over."

"Roger that, Australian Territory, this is Delta-GEAR, requesting permission to cross your borders, and land my craft. Over."

"Acknowledged, Delta-GEAR. Please be advised that your aircraft will be searched upon landing. As of this moment, any objects removed from your aircraft will be seen as criminal intent, and dealt with accordingly. Over."

Ajax heaved a sigh. "Roger that Australian Territory. Over."

Disengaging the autopilot, he keyed the intercom system, saying "Please be advised that this aircraft and it's passengers are to be searched upon landing. Please prepare for a search. Also, it's gonna get bumpy going down, so buckle up."

Ajax landed smoothly, and because the engines had been at idle long before he approached, he was actually pulling up slightly before landing. He began lightly tapping the brakes, slowing the plane, and finally ramping up the thrust to better take advantage of his reverse thrusters. The plane stopped about halfway down the strip.(It was long enough to land a space shuttle on.) A vehicle was waiting to meet them. It drove in front, and the sign on the back read "Follow me." Ajax carefully followed, keeping a consistent gap between the vehicle and the aircraft.

When the flashing lights turned off, and the vehicle proceeded to move away quickly, Ajax assumed that he was no longer supposed to follow. A pair of black SUVs pulled up, one on each side of the plane. "_How cliché_" Ajax thought. An airport worker was standing in front, making a slashing motion, and Ajax killed the engines with a single swipe over the lever bank. After that, the man pantomimed unlocking a door, and Ajax held up both thumbs, symbolizing that he understood. He stood up, and unlocked the doors, slowly and carefully opening them at the same time. He showed his empty hands, and proceeded to flip down the stairs on one side. Stepping down, he held his hands out, and open.

"How many on board?" The leader asked.

"Seven."

"Would you be so kind as to ask them to exit?"

"Sure." Ajax held onto a semblance of being casual. "All right, guys. This is it. Everyone out, slowly, and with your hands empty. Oh, and Gazzy? No stink bombs courtesy of lunch!" The officials gathered around the plane exchanged looks. "Can I ask why you guys seem so nervous?" Ajax had turned back towards the guy who had been giving the orders.

"We are ever so slightly nervous because we've never seen a Learjet come all the way across the pond like that before."

"Oh, that." *flashback* The craft had left NYC at seven thirty, local time. At high noon, Eastern Time, a tanker had come to replenish the Learjet's nearly empty tanks. "Many thanks for the liquid, Tank."

"Hey, no prob 'GEAR. Just don't drink it all at once."

"Rodger that, Tank. See ya 'round."

The tanker left, and at five o' clock Eastern Time, Ajax radioed Australia. *End Flashback* "Yeah, I guess you guys have never seen a government jet disguised as a civilian. We took on more gas around noon, Eastern time."

The officials relaxed. "So, if you're government, what are you with, FBI, CIA, NCIS?"

"Ah, no, nope, and no way, though I think that Gibbs is the best NCIS agent on the show. I'm with the SGC."

"You gotta badge for that?"

"Yeah, it's right here."

"Toss it over." The man caught it, and looked intently over it. "Looks good. Now what's the story for the other seven?"

"Witness protection. They have some powerful enemies."

Various members of the Flock exchanged knowing glances.

"All right, you're good." One of the officials stepped out of the plane.

"What'd you find, Epperts?"

"Nothing serious. Although…" the man named Epperts trailed off.

"Although, what?"

"If there was a limit to MTN Dew, I'd say that at least one person went over the legal limit." He grinned. "Also, is anyone missing a feather? I found it in the pilot's seat."

Everyone in the Flock stiffened in response to Epperts' pronouncement, 'til Ajax stepped in and said "Oh, that's mine. I take it with me as a good luck charm." At everyone's raised eyebrows, he said "What? It's a thing I do."

"You lie horribly." responded the man. "I nearly forgot, we still have to do the search, protocol and all that. So, remove all article from your pockets, and prepare for a search."

At that, Gazzy looked positively sick. "Is something wrong young man?" asked one of the agents. Wordlessly, Gazzy emptied his pockets, and other hiding places, resulting in a small pile of minor explosives. "Any explanations?"

"We build bombs to use against our 'powerful enemies'." Gazzy said in a small voice.

"And do all of you do it, or were you refering to someone specific?"

"Iggy." was all he could manage.

Iggy produced a pile much like Gazzy's, but with a little less variety. "What else is there we should know?"

"Do you want the entire heart-wrenching, multiple layers of highly-classified story?"

"No. We want to hear the sweetened condensed version of the entire heart-wrenching, multiple layers of highly-classified story."

"Ok, we are all recombinants. Genetic experiments. We have wings, that's why I fly with feathers on my person. Because they are literally attached to myself. Our 'powerful enemies' are lupine recombinants. Think technology's answer to werewolves. We stab them, shoot them when we can, but we rarely have a gun, blow them up with Gazzy's explosives, and use hand to hand combat and superior flight tactics to outmaneuver, out gun, and outsmart them. The only other option is death. We came here to get away from it all, and yes, the SGC is real, and very highly classified. It is on your honor to never tell anyone about this that I am telling you." Ajax paused for breath in his dispassionate tirade. "We have reason to believe that we are far more useful alive, so we are going to the Pegasus Galaxy. How we are getting there, I'm not allowed to say."

"Fine. How can we help?"

"Where's the Juicenet café? From there, we can take care of it all. Oh, I won't be back for the plane, but an SGC operative who came here for vacation will take it off your hands in approximately four weeks. He will identify himself as General Jack O' Neil."

"Alright. I tell you what. We will supply you with a van and a driver. He will take you to The Juicenet Café. From there, you're on your own. Will that satisfy you?"

"Certainly. I will include a good note about you in my report to the brass in the SGC."

"One more question. What does SGC stand for?"

"You promise not to tell anyone what I've told you?"

The agent nodded.

"SGC is shorthand for Star-Gate Command. The Stargate is a rather large metal hoop that stands on it's side, and can be used in conjunction with another such hoop as a method of travel. It's not quite teleportation on a planetary level. You input the six axis's and the point of origin, and the 'gate checks those coordinates. When it finds the 'gate in that region of space, it locks, and the event horizon forms. It looks like water, and when it first activates, it looks like someone did a sideways cannonball that then goes into reverse. After it stabilizes, you walk through, and end up really far away. To get back, you input the axis's of your destination, and the point of origin, the whole dialing process happens, and when you walk through, you end up at the coordinates you inputted. It only works if there is a gate in those coordinates.

_Author's Note: I am sorry if this chapter stinks. If you have to flame me, fine. I guess I deserve it with a chapter this crappy. I was kinda on the fly, and nothing really teased out right, so I ended up with this. So, Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Yeah, the magicians aren't going to swarm Atlantis for more than two days, WHEN they find out about Atlantis. Remember, Atlantis crossed Alagaesia from the west, so they might not think to check to the west, where the city flew from. What mega-tsunami? You don't think that the Lanteans would have come up with a method to prevent such a thing when moving the city to a populated world? There's more danger in liftoff. As for complications, I have several for you, but they will lie in wait. For now, at least… Matthew Reilly? Who dat? _

_Spoilers: Ajax gets back to Alagaesia, but not by Stargate. What magical manner does he get back in, and how much damage (if any) will it do? Review and leave your theories, ye conspiracy theorists!_


	10. Back in Alagaesia

_So here I am again, writing a chapter, hoping that someone besides my good friend and reviewer Master of the Blood Wolves will leave a review. I'm not gonna stop for reviews, that would be cruel to my characters, suspended in time until someone fulfills my arbitrary number of reviews for a certain chapter…besides, it's not fair to those who do review. So, I write again. But I warn you, those of you who bookmarked me, and alerted me, and favorited me, I hate moochers. It could be argued that I'm mooching by using someone else's toys, but at least I'm writing out the movies that play in my head at night. Besides, I have no monetary gain whatsoever, and I don't think it counts much for school._

_Ajax's POV:_ We all piled into a van that looked like it had seen better days. It reeked of take-out, and I nearly turned over when I saw the three week old McDonald's food on the seat beside me. I felt pressure in my skull, and I probed, knowing Angel was a class four telepath. Finding her probe, I decided to turn up my iPod all the way up, clearing my mind of anything less loud. She winced, and left, unable to withstand the current of DragonForce I was submitting my eardrums and mind to. _"Burning fires, lost lives on the long distant roads Through the lost mountains endless so far away from home."_ I turned it down, not willing to leave it up so loud with everyone staring at me. The drive went by quickly, mainly because I was asleep. When we stopped, someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I thanked the driver, getting out as I did so. I turned off the iPod, and pulled out my earbuds, dangling the cord around my neck, and tucking the jack and the buds inside my shirt. With everyone out and the doors closed, the van pulled away, and I twisted, popping my back, and multiple points in my neck. It felt good to release all that tension. I ran a mental sweep, searching for the points of blind rage that could indicate Eraser presence. Pulling out my massive wallet, I handed everyone twenty bucks, and pointed at the Juicenet Café. "Have fun." I said. As soon as they were gone, I walked down to the docks, and was pacing back and forth when I saw one of the three I was looking for. Without alerting her to the fact that I knew she was watching me, I finally sat down on the dock, and gestured at the water. A two inch thick column of water came up, and I stopped it when it was on eye level with where I was sitting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her eyes widen quite a bit. Then, she gestured at the column, and I let it go. The column was hit less than a microsecond after I let go. Turning towards her I said "The black moon approaches. I know for a fact that it is deadly to mermaids not in the moonpool."

"How do you know about the moonpool?" She said. Her voice was quiet, but accusing.

Refusing to rise to the challenge I easily replied "I make it my business to know things. I know a lot about mermaid lore, most of it true. And I know of Mako island, your moonpool."

"What do you want?"

"I want to be allowed access to Mako. Specifically, the caves inside."

"Why? What do you intend to do?"

"Help Mako restore herself. I know of the damage done to Mako by those who didn't know of the magical nature of those crystals. All they knew was that they could turn magic into energy. Or at least, the thought they could. I'm not sure if they managed it or not. The point is, I know how to heal Mako. I also know that it is the only safe place for you and your friends on the day of the black moon. I've got to go, or I will be missed, and the secret will be out. That is the last thing I want for Mako."

"Fine, I trust you. But. If you break your word, I and my friends will hold you underwater until you drown. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I would expect no less if I were an honorless cur."

"Honor?"

"Yeah, the part of you that wants to do what's right, no matter the consequences. Honor keeps it's promises, obeys the law, and is well liked by everyone who has dealt with honor before."

"I see. What is the 'black moon', anyway?"

"Normal people refer to it as the solar eclipse."

"That's tomorrow!"

"Yeah, high noon, local time, if memory serves."

"I have to tell the others." She dashed off.

Standing up, I decided to chill in my hammock. But where would be acceptable? Oh.

Collecting the others, I filled them in on what was going down, and we took off, headed for Mako, with our gear (such as it was) in a Kodiak. After setting up camp in the cave system, I pulled out Sheppard's 'War and Peace', as well as my hammock, setting it up in on of the nearby trees. "_Being a shape-shifter helps._" I thought to myself, absorbing my wings. When they were gone, I laid down in the hammock, and began reading, half expecting Sheppard to boot me out of my hammock for stealing his book. Oh, well. I doubted he would miss it. As night fell, I rolled out, and packed the book away, pulling out a summer weight sleeping bag. It was all the way unzipped, and I carefully got back in my hammock before I zipped my sleeping bag around the strings at the bottom of the hammock. I slept like I had never slept before. Tonight, there were no dreams of war, blood, pain, gunfire, more pain, laboratories, more pain, hospitals, more pain, and lastly a dark, silent grave, and a cessation of pain. There was none of that tonight. I slept til about ten the next morning, at which point I hauled my lazy carcass out of bed. Packing everything up, I put it all in the cave so nothing would be lost. Around eleven, I heard over the hydrophones what sounded like torpedoes. A moment later, three mermaids drifted in on their momentum. I came down out of the adjoining cave, making my presence known. Three sets of eyes shifted towards me.

"Hello. Time is about to prove me right on what I told you last night. By the way, I never heard your names."

"I'm Cleo, she's Nikki, and she's Emma."

The other to nodded politely in turn.

"Who are you?"

"If you are looking for my true name, know this, names have great power, magically speaking. I'll not tell you my true name, mainly because I don't even know it yet, but also because it is rare for people to hand out true names upon greeting someone for the first time. Just sayin'. If you need something to call me by though," I said, noting their disappointed looks "you can call me Ajax. Everyone else does."

They appeared satisfied.

"So, what is it exactly that happens during the black moon?" Emma asked.

"Mermaids with evil in their heart outside of the moonpool will die. This applies to ex-mermaids as well. Mermaids with evil in their heart inside the moonpool will be stripped of the evil. Actually, and merm. In the moonpool will be stripped of evil, and moral purity will literally be seared into their minds and hearts. In addition, the mermaids exposed to the black moon while in the moopool become immortal with two exeptions, both on the blue moon. Those two exceptions are, the merm can commit suicide in the moonpool on the night of the blue moon, or, another merm can kill an immortal mermwhile in the moonpool on the night of the blue moon. Abilities with water are enhanced, and if you only posses one of the abilities with water, such as kinesis, the other two are added to you. You will be able to shape-shift, even in the water, but it won't last for much more than an hour before you revert to your own form." I fell silent, trying to remember everything I had read on the subject. "You will be able to fight, even kill, while you are pure, but only if the side you are fighting for/with is the side you believe is right. Magic cannot influence this. You will be able to stay underwater indefinitely, and you won't need to sleep or eat. You will still be able to, but it will no longer be necessary. You will gain the ability of telepathy, and will be able to communicate among yourselves over vast distances this way. You will be able to use magic in ways that would kill most elves, and you won't feel the worse for it. As for Mako herself, the moon will heal the scars made by the greed of outsiders, and refill her magical batteries, so to speak. There is something else, though. Mako island swaps with her counterpart in a different galaxy during the black moon. The culture there is different. You will encounter humans, but they will see you as creatures of magic, and not to be trifled with. You will encounter elves. It's doubtful that you will ever know whether you've fathomed the full import of what they say, even in the ancient language. They hold that they never lie, but they've turned saying one thing and meaning another into an art. Be wary of them. Urgals are just a war-like people that usually stink to high heaven. Think Klingons, and you'll be about right. Dwarves are short, and hold that they were created out of stone, by a deity they refer to as 'Helzvog' or some such. It is as easy to defeat a dwarf as it is to move a mountain. They are a generally good people, and treat guests better than royalty. There is a city, designed and built by a very old race of people, known as the Lanteans, or sometimes called the Ancients. The name of the city is Atlantis, and it is capable of floating on the water, submerging for safety over long periods of time, flying through space, or sitting on/under the land itself. Atlantis has advanced medical care, and is about three clicks from the Mako island equivalent there. It won't be hard to get there right after breakfast, and be back to the city by 7:30 A.M. That's assuming you eat around 6:00."

"Hour and a half, that's a forty-five minute trip, one way."

"Yeah, assuming you go at the pace of a Kodiak at quarter throttle. With your hyper speed, you should be able to do it in about five, round trip."

The island began to shake, and I pulled out my iPod to check the time. "It begins." I said, jumping in. From where I now stood, looking straight up, I was able to see the moon finish covering the sun. _End Ajax's POV._ The water roiled with magic, and the entire island began to shake as the full effect of the moon's magic was felt. Ajax hadn't told anyone else what he knew about the moonpool, but Angel had figured it out, and had jumped in before Ajax had. The island itself began to sing, covering the sound of an ex-mermaid screaming. It was a song that spoke of magic, and traditions so long ago that they had been lost to time. The scars caused by the greed of outsiders healed quickly, leaving no trace of the damage that had been done. The island stopped shaking, and everything was quiet for several tense moments. Power flooded through the water in the moonpool, and Nikki would have screamed if she hadn't been dealing with odd stuff happening most of the time. Emma seemed to be enjoying it, and Cleo seemed awed by the whole thing. Ajax seemed to be at peace, and Angel was treating the whole thing like an exceptional roller coaster, sans screaming. Cleo noted in a detached sort of way the fact that her tail has disappeared. The island began shaking again, and then all was quiet, and light began to flood into the moonpool once again. Ajax gone out, and with a wry smile, spread his fingers in a swift movement. The water that was flooding his clothes and shoes flew away from him as he exercised his new ability. Steam began to wisp from him as the remaining water was vaporized from his hair and clothing.

"Well, that was…different." Ajax remarked. "I hadn't been fully prepared for the power of the whole thing."

"Now you know how we felt about it when we first had an encounter in the moonpool." Emma stated.

"Well, it seems that we are fully and completely here, but I smell something I didn't smell before when I was here." Ajax made as if to walk off without explaining himself, when Cleo said, "Smell what?"

"You don't smell it?" Ajax whirled around, incredulous. "It's the smell of tyranny augmented with magic. Not a good sniff, if you catch my drift."

"So that's what that icky-stinky smell is."

"Yeah. The only way to get rid of it is to destroy the source, and that may take some doing."

"Why? We're immortal, right?"

"Yeah, but you can still die, albeit very briefly. All your systems shut down, and then restart, and broken bones begin to mend, muscles reattach themselves, it's all rather disgusting if you've been blasted into several tiny bits. I saw it happen to someone else, it was…disturbing. Anyway, I'm gonna get my stuff, and refill the Kodiak's air banks. Comin?"

"No, we're going to stay here for a bit, talk among ourselves in the solitude of the moonpool and all that crap. Right guys?" "Yeah" "Sure…"

"Alright, I'll leave you in peace, then." Ajax walked out of the cave, presumably to pack his gear, and prepare the Kodiak for launch. Meanwhile, the girls chatted.

"Did either of you notice that our tails disappeared during the whole power-thing that was happening?" Cleo asked.

Emma responded with, "No, I was too busy enjoying the feeling of power running through my body. You?"

"No, I was kinda busy trying hard not to be scared." Nikki said.

"Why would you be scared?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we are heaven only knows how far from home, suddenly, if this Ajax is completely accurate, we are immortal, then there the whole complete and total banishing of evil from our souls. Oh, then there's the whole magic thing. I don't even know how to use magic! Well, I mean aside from our water magic. But that's different, and even that got changed. Now, we have all the different water abilities. I'm freaked, and I want to go home."

"Maybe the Atlantis-city that he talked about holds the key to that."

"hmm, on the other hand, he said that this 'Atlantis' has advanced medical facilities."

Ajax walked back in. "I've got the Kody all ready to go." he announced. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to live on Atlantis. I've been with the people there, and I trust them. They're like people that you can tell anything to, and they won't judge you for it. Well, actually, they might judge you if you say, killed a million people in their sleep or something, but they've seen my wings, and the doctor there didn't try to get a sample from me or dissect me, or anything. You'll be safe there, and it will be somewhat closer to home in certain aspects. Stay, or go, it's your choice. I won't make you do anything." So saying, he fished up his earbuds, and plugged them into his iPod, turning it on as he did so. After that, he slid into the water, his skin turning black as he did so. Moments later, an attack submarine of American make and model sat in the water. It was a miniature sub, approximately 1:16 scale, and as it slid under the surface of the water, the sonar arrays began pulsing with the sounds of Nighwish music. Other than the music, the sub made no disturbance as it slid out of the moonpool at four knots. Once outside, the sub surfaced, and several miniature crew members began 'fishing' for the rope that was tied to the Kodiak. As soon as they caught it, the ran the rope through a pair of rings in the deck just aft of the fairsail. The rope was made secure, then several floats were attached to make sure that the rope would not interfere with the propeller. The sub dove again, taking a bearing for Atlantis, some twelve miles north and west of Nia, the island that had swapped with Mako. Once his bearing was true, the Ajax-sub picked up the speed, running at a total speed of just over twenty knots.

_On Atlantis:_ "I have gotten the sonar systems back on-line. One of the drawbacks of interstellar travel is that most systems not needed to ensure the well being of the people on board get shut down. Anyway…whoa, what's this?" McKay had found a very interesting sonar signature.

"Can you put it on audio so I know what I'm seeing, McKay?" asked the slightly clueless CO.

"Yeah…there." The distinctive sounds of a miniature submarine towing a large object couldn't be missed, but the part that had drawn McKay's attention was the music that the sub was emitting. When John Sheppard heard it, his first thought was "What the heck is that", and his second was, "I hope the bad guy doesn't have some high powered technology that can blow us out of the water" and his third thought was "would Teyla like this kind of music?". His musing were cut short when McKay spoke again, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"The miniature submarine seems to be very close; about two miles out. I doubt it's a threat, but you can still check it out. Whatever it's towing is floating on the surface, so you should be able to find it easily."

"Yeah, I'll check it out, and see what I can figure out. Hey, have you seen my book?"

"Book?"

"Yeah, War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy?"

"I can't say that I have. Is it missing?"

"Yeah, but I bet I know who has it." Sheppard strode out of the room without a second glance.

_This seems like a good place to stop this chapter, but don't worry, that's only so I can write another one after posting this one. In other news, I'm a pragmatist. In other words, I have accepted that it's possible to get five reviews for a chapter, but that it's probable that I'll only get one. One of you people following me: REVIEW ALREADY! I KNOW YOU'RE TRACKING ME, BECAUSE I SAW THE EMAIL THAT SAID THAT I HAD BEEN ADDED TO AN ALERT LIST. SO, REVIEW! Or I might stop posting…now there's a cliffhanger! (Will he post? Maybe he won't. Oh, the suspense is killing me!)_

_Answers to Readers: Master of the Blood Wolves: The above rant was not directed at you, because you do your part and review faithfully. I thank you for it. I'm glad you like the NCIS joke, it just popped into my head, and I used it. You're right. The customs agents would have been more touchy about all that. On the other hand, consider this: Nobody from the plane was acting hostile, and Gazzy didn't seem like he had the heart to blow up his lil bombs, probably because of Max. Also, the pilot ID'd himself as a federal agent for the SGC. You're right about the Territories/Territory issue, I had been in a rush when writing that one. Overall, I'm glad you liked it._

_SPOILERS, Read at your own risk: Ajax finds the third egg, and it hatches. Include what you think the name, color and gender of the dragon will be in your review. If I like it, I might change to follow that._

'_Til next time, _

_ Read and review!_

_ Like it, _

_ Love it,_

_ Hate it?_

_ Review, and let me know what you think!_


	11. Ajax and sarcasm

_And once again, I sit here to write. Once again, I have only gotten one review. What's with you people?_

The semi-inflatable craft drifted toward the south pier as the rope was released. The occupants would have no trouble paddling the last ten feet or so.

John opened the doors, and stood the Jumper on end on his way out. Once clear of the tower, he proceeded to cloak and make a low-speed flyby of the South pier. The first thing that he noted was that the towline was floated to the surface, and that one of the occupants seemed to have detected him. Taking the Jumper underwater, he noticed a submarine diving and increasing speed. Sheppard was unwilling to let it go, so he followed it. Soon, it had maxed out it's speed capabilities, but was still diving. Suddenly, a rod was ejected from the submarine, and Sheppard never even noticed the decoy until it was too late. It smacked against the glass before floating up with the angle of the glass. The sub had been tracking that decoy, and heard it when it deviated from it's ordinary coarse. Knowing that something was following him, Ajax pulled a deft one-eighty, diving as he did so. Thrashing the water with his sonar, he found the Jumper, and knew the gig was up. Turning towards Atlantis, he increased speed back to flank, and surfaced with a forty-five degree angle. The speed with which the attack sub surfaced surprised even Ajax. The angle and speed resulted in the sub flying out of the water far enough that the tail cleared the water. A beam of light swept through the sub, stem to stern. Ajax glided on stilled wings to land on the pier. The Jumper returned to the bay over the Gate Room while Ajax proceeded to haul the Kodiak over the metal of Atlantis' South Pier.

_The Varden camp:_ "_Did you feel that?_" Eragon asked Saphira

"_That was magic older than this land; older than the dragons. Whatever that was, it was very powerful._" came the reply.

The moon cleared the disk of the sun, and the murmurings of the crowd began, each speculating on what it was, or what had happened. Eragon decided to fly with Saphira, and see if there was anything that could indicate danger.

_Atlantis:_ Ajax hurriedly retrieved the book before Sheppard could get to him. As Sheppard approached, Ajax handed him the book, turned, and left, winging away to the east as fast as he could. Sheppard watched him go, looked at his book, back to Ajax, and smiled before returning to his quarters.

_The Varden camp:_ As Saphira ascended, Eragon looked around, searching for the slightest sign of danger. Not seeing anything, he informed Saphira who adopted a wide circling pattern, and she and Eragon conversed for some time on all that had happened. Suddenly, out of the west, Eragon spied a dark shape in the sky, but whatever it was, it had the sun almost directly behind it. Saphira surged forward, ready for battle. Eragon drew his sword, and laid it along his leg, preferring to have it out, but not in an overly threatening posture. He informed Blodhgarm of what he and Saphira were about to do, and asked that Lady Nasuada be informed. Saphira breathed a challenge to the unknown airborne, written in fire. The unkown answered by inverting, and diving for the ground as fast as it could. Before it had gotten closer than fifty feet of the ground, it leveled of, and Eragon was able to more adequately see what it was. A human with _wings_ was flying faster than Saphira would normally fly. The human adjusted his wings, and flew directly at Eragon and Saphira. Saphira was contemptuous, but Eragon wondered about the newcomer's capabilities.

"_He may have wards against heat._" he warned. She paused at that. Her best weapon, taken out of the equation before it was even used. She thrashed her tail, and prepared for an alternate method while Eragon worked on finding out about the stranger's wards. To his shock, he couldn't get a grip on the stranger's mind. It was not that he couldn't find it. The stranger mind echoed with screaming sounds, and a male singer. Ajax was listening to _DragonForce_ while in combat. He had learned how to shield his mind in a battle situation from his training, which consisted of eighteen telepaths engaging him in an overwhelming sparring match on two fronts.

"_Proud and so glorious Standing before of us Our swords will shine bright in the sky When united we come To the land of the sun With the heart of a dragon we ride._"

Eragon sat up, shocked as surely as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over him. Saphira had heard it too, and was none too thrilled. It meant that her adversary knew about dragons, and their abilities, but she pressed on, and as the stranger drew close, he flipped up so that he was practically standing on his left wing, and fell away before leveling out. Saphira knew she was outclassed, and could do very little about it. Instead of dwelling on her opponent's skill, she merely twisted, and brought her head to bear on the stranger, but he was no longer there. A metal bird was streaking away, screaming bloody murder as it left. The heat of it's cans made her wince. Fire-breathing in the rear? The F-14 opened it's wings, and banked right, before standing on it's tail, closing it's wings all the way again. It leveled off at an altitude of five hundred feet, and a beam of light swept through it, leaving behind an _Airwolf_-class helicopter. It twisted, pointing to the north before tipping forward, and racing towards the Varden's northern border. Three hundred feet beyond, it turned, facing south now, and the light swept through it again. This time, the stranger was Slingshot.

(A/N: Slingshot was featured in the World Race, and the first episode of Acceleracers. The driver, Kurt Wylde, switched to Battle Spec after Slingshot was irretrievably wrecked in the Storm Realm.)

The white carriage without horses surged forward, cresting the rise of the berm with ease, even catching air due to the speed with which the vehicle was moving. The one-eighth scale vehicle swerved upon landing, but straightened out quickly. Saphira followed, this time completely unafraid of her quarry. Earlier, she was out classed, out heated, and the whirling blades where something that she didn't care to go near, especially with the noise it made. But this, this could not fly, and it didn't look like it could outrun her. Just as she was preparing to grab it, it sped up, leaving twin trailed of flame for a short distance. She spat flames at it, and was rewarded with one of the wheels catching fire. There was no sweeping light this time. Ajax reverted in a flash, and rolled quickly, putting out the flames on his pants before returning to his previous vehicular form. To the ordinary observer, the car swerved in a full circle, kicking up a massive cloud of dust before racing on towards it's destination. This time, instead of the flame trail for a massive acceleration boost, the car began to glow blue, just before shooting forward at a speed that even Saphira couldn't hold for long. The glow winked out of existence a moment later, and the vehicle slid crosswise to a stop in front of Lady Nasuada's pavilion tent. The Nighthawks blinked, unsure of what to do to this thing. It had not attacked, and Eragon was chasing it. They came to an unspoken consensus, and struck, almost all together. The vehicle backed up, and the warriors ended up burying their weapons in the ground. The beam of light ran through the vehicle, leaving a different vehicle in similar markings standing before them. Bassline's lights were briefly illuminated, then extinguished. The speakers reverberated with one word. "AJAX."

The guards looked at each other, then at the vehicle. "Ajax wishes to speak with you, Lady Nightstalker." One of the Urgals said.

"Bring him in, but come in with him." came a voice from within.

The vehicle lurched, then rolled forward into the tent, following the Nighthawks. As the flaps closed behind the Nighthawks, music sounded from the speakers of the vehicle. "Havoc" by In Tenebris. Lights accompanied the music, and Lady Nasuada looked at the vehicle a moment, before saying, "What do you want?"

A beam of light swept through the vehicle, and Ajax stood in the vehicle's place. The change had been accomplished mere moments before Eragon strode in, Saphira poking her head in the back of the tent.

"What is this person doing here?" Eragon spluttered. "He's dangerous."

"So are you, Eragon." responded Nasuada coolly. "So, 'Ajax', what do you want? Why are you here? And were you related to the burst of magic that Eragon felt during the night of the day?"

"I'm gonna start at the rear, and work my way forward." Ajax replied. "The 'night of the day'; it's called an eclipse. Yes, I hitched a ride on the magic felt during the eclipse, and I'm here because I'm curious. As to want I want; two things. First, I want to know why your vassal chose to engage me in an aerial duel. To my knowledge, your civilization is not yet advanced enough to have airspace restrictions, so my flying over shouldn't have been contested. Also, he attempted to enter my mind. I know he couldn't get in, because I had my iPod all the way up, and was focused on the music. I think that an explanation as to why I was attacked is well within the limits of reason."

"Well, Eragon? Did you find him to be a threat from the moment you set eyes on him?"

"No. He was flying in the light of the sun, which I took to be a defensive measure. I assumed that he did not wish to be identified until it was too late, and nothing could be done about it. After Saphira spewed flame at him, he engaged in evasive maneuvers. Again, I took this to mean that he didn't wish to be met."

"Well, pardon me for not desiring an up-front meeting with a fire-breather. I'm not fire-proof like you." Ajax responded, his voice slathered in sarcasm.

"He also shifted his shape three times before entering this tent. He took the shape of one of the metal birds that probably inhabit the land he comes from-"

"It's called an airplane. I was a small scale aircraft, but people actually ride in the full-sized ones."

"…then he changed, taking the shape of something that made a clattering noise, used magic to stay in the air and waved blades!"

"It's called a helicopter. Again, scale, and there's no magic involved. The blades are what keep the aircraft aloft."

"After that, he landed, taking the shape of a carriage without horses-"

"It's called a car."

"And continued to run away from me and Saphira."

"Well, can ya blame me? Ya did try to kill me. Well, your dragon, but you know."

"Just as we were about to catch it, it left twin trails of flame, and increased it's speed."

"Ah, acceleration fuel. It's used to turbo-charge the engine, make it go faster."

"Saphira managed to hit him with a fireball, and he changed so quickly you'd not even notice if you couldn't see as well as an elf."

"Yeah, stop, drop, and roll is the method for putting out personal fires. And I still have the burned shoe, compliments of that fire."

"After that, he took off running again, and employed magic to go faster. He glowed blue!"

"It's called an Accelacharger. It allows the holder to do special things for a brief amount of time. I have the complete set, but I only use a select few of them."

"In the light of all that I said, can you blame me for attacking?"

Ajax responded, tongue firmly in cheek when he said "Umm, let me think…yup!"

Eragon and Nasuada both looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and some unidentifiable emotion akin to disgust.

"I think I'd better clear some things up for you two. No, yes, and 42."

"What?" Nasuada had no clue what that meant, and Eragon would have said it if she hadn't

"No, I'm not gay. Yes, I have always been this way, and the answer to the universe is 42. Not to be mistaken for the answer to life. That's 38,…I think."

"Right…I'm just gonna leave that alone." Eragon said, shaken.

"Fine by me. The second part of my answer as to what I want. I want a hot shower, but I know where to get one, so I'll be fine. By the way, I heard something about a war…specifically, a tyrant who augments his rule with magic. The funny thing? I've only been on this world for about five hours all total."

"So how do you know of it?"

"Well, when you're able to smell it, and the entire land cries out with the blood of the innocent, it's kind of a dead giveaway. I'm not afraid of him though."

"Then you are a fool. No one dares to oppose Galbatorix lightly. It is a death sentence."

"He can't kill that which is immortal, can he?"

"What?"

"Yeah. Well, actually, he could kill me, but I'd only be dead for about…two minutes?"

"How?"

"That magic you felt earlier. That coupled with my already strong regenerative rate, allows me to heal from wounds that would be lethal to anyone else, and in less than two minutes. Not even you could do anything to me, Eragon."

Saphira let loose a stream of smoke from her nostrils, angered that someone dared to diss her Rider. Ajax didn't appear to care.

"You could loose your worst magic against me, and it wouldn't affect me. Go ahead, try it."

Saphira was furious, and the urge to use magic swept over her. No sooner thought than done. A blast of magic shot towards Ajax, and a twinkling effect shrouded Ajax for a moment, blue sparks moving over an ovaloid shape. A moment later, a replica of an _Intrepid_-class starship hung where Ajax had been standing. The shield effect continued for several more moments before stopping. The ship swung around, and the beam of light went through it again, leaving Ajax standing before the people in the tent.

"I want safe passage through Varden airspace. In return, I will swear not to hamper your war in the slightest."

"Why do you need safe passage?"

"Because although I am immortal, being killed while in the air would result in me having to recover, and in the fall, I would receive more damage, and then there is the idea of everyone coming to the scene and hacking at me with their weapons just to make sure I stay dead. Not a pretty idea." He looked at his watch. "I've gotta shove, so see ya later." Ajax walked out of the tent, and Nasuada dismissed the Nighthawks. Even though the fabric of the tent obscured most everything from view, Nasuada was able to see brief flashes of light as the beam of light swept through her latest guest. A moment later there was an oddly mechanical sputtering and growling. The sputtering ceased as the growling smoothed out. Eragon opened the flap of the tent so that Nasuada could see outside of the tent. A miniature Boeing B-17 G Flying Fortress was spinning up it's engines, and as Nasuada watched, a light in the wing root lit up, bathing a section of ground in front of the aircraft in high power light. Strobes activated, and the aircraft lurched forward, moving out of Nasuada's line of sight. She got up, and went to the door of the tent to continue watching it. It's engines were at full throttle, and as she watched, the aircraft parted company with the ground, and turned to the west, headed for Atlantis.

Her mind made up, she returned to her chair, and when the flap was closed again, she said "Eragon, I need you to follow that thing. Do not posture yourself as an attacker, but keep him in your sight until he gets to wherever he's going."

"Yes, my Lady." Eragon left, and Saphira proceeded to jump into the sky, Eragon on her back, still strapping in.

_Why do I not like this chapter very much? Oh, I know, because it just feels like crap, but I don't have anything better, so I'll post it anyway._

_Answer to Master of the Blood Wolves:_It seems that you just gave Ajax an assload of extra power without explaining it._Ajax has had the shape shifter ability for quite some time. Remember the wings? If he was Omega's predecessor, he wouldn't have wings. The rest, wasn't that explained during the chat in the moonpool?_

And, am I the only one that has a problem with those three murmaids being more powerful than the average (if there is such a thing) Dragon Rider?

_I Believe that it is spelled 'mermaids' not 'murmaids', and as far as their abilities go, aren't you glad they can only fight for what they believe is right?_(Hell, the original Eragon, where ever he actually is would have trouble with them.)

_Doubtful. He's been going around through the various dimensions, remember?I doubt that your relatively (un)scathing review could be considered harsh. It wasn't some random flamer. As for the God in the Machine, I would have gotten it. My question for you is, what is the meaning of "Cognito, ergo sum."?_

_You never did tell me what gender and name the green dragon will have._


	12. Just a Taste of what's to come

As the B-17 roared away towards the west in the light of the evening sun, Eragon followed at a cautious distance on Saphira. Ajax made no moves to indicate that he knew he was being followed, but the light in the wing root was switched off shortly after the wheels were retracted. After the aircraft was well clear of the Varden camp, the various positions were tested simultaneously. The craft shook, and gunfire came from all points of the aircraft. As the tracer rounds streaked into the night, Eragon firmed up his guard. The aircraft had turned, and at it's current speed, it would be over Uru'Baen in under a day. The now-familiar beam of light swept through Ajax, and instead of a B-17, the _Airwolf_-class helicopter was flying towards the capital. A pair of jet engines activated, and the chopper shot forward at speeds that rivaled even the F-14 that had shown it's pointy nose earlier. At this rate, it would be flying over the black citadel in under an hour. Eragon couldn't follow, so Saphira turned back, disappointed. Before she was able to go three strokes back towards the Varden camp though, a blinding blue light flashed around her, and her last thought before she blacked out was "_ERAGON!_". She woke up moments later, half a mile from the black citadel. Her saddle had been taken off, and it was a moment before she could clear her mind enough to hear the partner of her heart and mind. After finding out that she was less than a mile away from the residence of the black king, she tensed, and became very quiet. A moment later, from the direction of the Varden camp, the helicopter screamed into view, slowing for a moment, and the B-17's distinctive roar could again be heard a moment later. As Eragon looked, he saw the belly of the craft open up, and several objects fell away from it before the doors closed again. The beam flashed through the aircraft, and an avian-human hybrid was maintaining position and altitude, watching as the objects fell. There was a number of rather large explosions, and Ajax amplified his voice with magic, making sure that the black king could hear him.

"GIVE MY REGARDS TO THE MISSUS!" he yelled "THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM, AND I WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU! THIS. IS. WAR!" Turning away, Ajax again took the shape of a Flying Fortress. The aircraft roared away, seemingly ignoring the black dragon that was slowly lifting off from the city. The dragon flew towards the aircraft, and even Galbatorix admired the way that his newest slave proudly maintained course, even though the thumping of his slave dragon could plainly be heard. The tail twitched and suddenly Shruiken found himself with a nose full of bullets. Shrieking in agony, he tried to turn away, but Galbatorix ordered him to press the attack. Approaching from the underside, Shruiken tried to disable the strange metal bird, but was again rebuffed by something that he had no idea how to deal with. As he fell away, still crying in pain, the sound came again, and at last, Shruiken linked the sound with the pain. Approaching from the side, Shruiken tensed, waiting for the sound that would mean more pain. It never came. Instead, the thing that Galbatorix was attempting to claim for his own broadcasted a beam of light that swept through it from nose to tail. The F-14 screamed a defiant challenge before twisting sharply into a dive. Galbatorix was transfixed; he simply had to have that thing with the magic he couldn't identify. The scream dulled into a muted roar, and the Tomcat came around, attempting to hold a position behind Shruiken. Galbatorix instructed Shruiken to hold his coarse, and that he would take care of slaving the metal bird. Reaching into the unkown entity's mind, he tried to grip onto it so as to slave it, but all he was able to find was an odd sound file. _"bep…bep…bep…bep…bep..bep….beeeee…..."_

He was unable to figure out what it meant, then suddenly, there was a thought, albeit minor, of release. A missile came streaking towards him and Shruiken as he gained access to the stranger's mind. It echoed with screaming guitars, and a singer who spoke of death, and despair, the drums were frenetic. Unable to penetrate the wall of unearthly music, he withdrew, and was able to throw up his wards just in time to deflect the missile. The explosion didn't cause much visible damage, but it very nearly depleted Galbatorix's wards. Apparently, it had also depleted the stranger's energy for the metal bird turned away, and twin points of heat lit up with a dull orange color. The beam of transformation ran through the stranger again, and a _Daedalus_-class ship flew on. Galbatorix uttered a spell to arrest the stranger's retreat, and the ship's engines began to scream as they attempted to move something that was colliding with an extraordinary force. The engines throttled back, and the ship turned ominously. Galbatorix once again attempted to breach the stranger's mind, and found "Burning fires, burning lives on the long distant roads, through the lost mountains endless so far away from home…" He withdrew, again unable to penetrate the wall of music encircling the combatant's mind. The engines returned to full throttle, and a beam of light shot out from the ship as it roared past. The beam struck Galbatorix, who hadn't had time to identify this new weapon. As he clutched his chest, he ordered Shruiken to turn back to the city. As he did so, Galbatorix saw the ship once more. It was headed towards him, and it changed course to avoid Galbatorix, but a white-streaked blue window opened in the very fabric of the air, and the ship shot into the hole before it closed behind it. Galbatorix healed the damage that the white light had dealt him, and passed out from energy and blood loss. A moment after the ship jumped to hyperspace, Eragon and Saphira, who had both been witness to the aerial duel, were flung back to the airspace close to the Varden. This time, they were not unconscious when they came out, and Saphira rocked a bit as the magic released it's hold on her and her Rider. Suddenly tired, Eragon spoke with Saphira, and she landed directly behind his tent, waiting patiently as he removed her saddle so she could comfortably sleep. After murmuring a spell to wake him at dawn, he entered his waking sleep.

_The control room of Atlantis:_ "Ma'am? Ma'am, I think you should see this." One of the techs was looking at the screen that showed hyperspace traveling objects.

"What is it?"

"It looks like a very small _Daedalus_-class vessel just dropped out of hyperspace."

"But I thought ships can't jump into hyperspace this close to a celestial body."

"That's not true, we did it with the _Orion_ when we were escaping the volcano, besides, even if it were true, it has nothing at all to do with jumping out." McKay said explained. "Though I do find the size to be disturbing…ZELENKA!" roared the scientist.

_The bridge of Voyager:_ "Captain, there appears to be a small vessel, directly ahead." Tuvok said, looking up from his sensors.

"Confirmed. There is a small vessel, and by the radiation burst nearby, I'd say that it just dropped out of hyperspace."

"Onscreen." Chakotay said.

The computer bleeped softly, and the image appeared. The vessel was unlike anything the crew of _Voyager_ had ever seen before. It was not 'soft' looking, but boxy, and sharp. It was a vessel built for the stresses of battle. The ship was on a course straight for the bridge of _Voyager_.

"Red Alert." Chakotay ordered.

"Report!" Captain Janeway ordered, stepping off of the turbo lift.

"There is what appears to be a small vessel, space worthy, and armed. It is headed straight for us."

"Captain, the city is uploading information into our data banks." Kim said, reading the data as fast as he could.

"Put it on-screen." There was a soft bleeping sound, and the information began scrolling across the screen.

"Captain," Tuvok said. "This data seems to rather closely match the data we have on the ship approaching. There is one major difference, however."

"Well?" Janeway queried, her curiosity piqued.

"The ship approaching appears to be half as long as the Delta Flyer."

_The control room of Atlantis:_ John walked in, having heard about the small vessel approaching the city.

"What's going on, Rodney?" he asked.

"Well, hello to you too." Rodney snarked. "It's a small ship, exactly like the _Daedalus_ in every way except for size."

"I bet I know who it is." John said, unruffled by McKay's manner. "'Lizabeth! I'm taking a Jumper to investigate. I be back soon."

In the Jumper bay, John ran up the ramp of one of the Jumpers, not even bothering to think 'on' at anything. The Lantean tech responded to his frame of mind anyway, and by the time he had sat down, the Jumper was merely waiting for the door to be closed prior to takeoff.

Sheppard grabbed the stick, and pointed the Jumper towards the upper door, mentally encouraging it forwards at a very slow pace while the doors in the roof opened. As soon as he was clear, he increased the speed, and leveled off, aiming for where the small vessel was approaching the city.

_The ship:_ The ship was moving at one-quarter sub-light towards the city. It turned as soon as it was within three hundred yards of the _Intrepid_-class vessel resting on the deck of the city. Speed was then increased to half of the vessel's full capacity. Meanwhile, a Jumper was approaching from the rear and to the right of the ship, effectively boxing it in. _Voyager_ was on the left, and the Jumper was on the right. A moment later, a turn was executed, turning such that the center of the city was directly to the left. Speed dropped precipitously as the ship extended landing legs in preparation to land. The ship twisted as it dropped towards the deck, facing the center of Atlantis before it landed.

The Jumper landed nearby, and Sheppard exited the Jumper, running over to the ship just as the beam of light shot through the ship again, and Ajax stood there, looking like he had gone three rounds with a Setedan.

"Why did you take my book with you?" Sheppard asked, attempting to hold a posture of complete ignorance.

"Uh, 'cause I was going to read it?"

"And did you?"

"Cover to cover."

"Get out! There's no way you could have read the whole thing!"

"I did. Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to find food, a shower, and a bed. In that order."

Ajax spread his wings, and jumped into the air, preferring to fly to the central tower rather than walk to it.

_Answers to Readers: My mind is somewhat warped, MotBW, I try not to do all this randomness, but sometimes it just helps to let it go in a chapter or two so I can get back to being a little more serious. For the sake of this story, the third dragon will be green, female, and named after a Nightwish song. Fifty points and a pan of brownies if you can figure out what song it will be._


	13. Settling In

_A/N: Sorry peeps, but the schedule just got moved up a bit. I realized that I wanted things to be in a different place than they had been, so I moved a couple pieces of the chess board around in my head, and this is what I've come up with. Certain events depicted in this chapter would have occurred approximately three to four chapters from now, but I really want the evil king to go down. Please enjoy, and for peep's sake, REVIEW! I'm only getting one review to a chapter, and I would like more review than that. As it is, I delayed the release of the previous chapter so as to TRY to garner at least one more review. I know there are multiple alerts out on this story, so for heaven's sake, please review! Okay, I'm done ranting now._

_Ajax' quarters:_

"_It's just one wasted life, in one wasted land,Suffering so far, and so alive,It's just one wasted man, in one wasted land,Until the end of time,Inside the winter storm."_

Ajax had his iPod on a sophisticated-looking docking bay reminiscent of DS9 in which his iPod was docked beside the station, and was held level by an almost invisible ledge built into the station. A replica of _Enterprise_ (NCC1701-D) was hanging by it's docking port on one of the three docks at the top of the station. On one of the remaining two docks, a replica of _Voyager_ (NCC-74656)hung by it's docking port. The ships' deflector dishes served as the subwoofers, while the center of the station cleverly hid the speaker systems, and a small remote use USB was plugged into a horizontal docking port on the station for use with a screen tied to the remote USB. Setting it to 'sleep' in half an hour, and to reactivate at six 'o'clock the next morning, he changed his clothes, and placed the dragon egg he had beamed up on a small, gently concave dais. This done, he went to bed, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

_Atlantis' conference room:_

Max and her Flock were in the conference room along with Cleo, Nikki, and Emma, the three mermaids that Ajax had seen fit to bring along into this adventure. A woman was sitting at one of the other tables with a laptop out in front of her, and she seemed to be searching for a particular piece of information. A moment later, she found what she was looking for.

"I've just completed a search of all the remaining areas designated for personal quarters." Dr. Wier noted quietly.

"We all get quarters?" Nudge asked excitedly.

"Yes. Lt. Colonel Sheppard will escort you there. You will be living there for the remainder of your stay here, assuming you decide to stay."

"Oh, you mean living quarters. I thought you meant like twenty five cents quarters, as like an allowance or something." Nudge spouted, somewhat disappointed.

"No, no money here. We use the barter system to get what we want considering that we are from several different nations, and money doesn't seem to mean very much of anything here, so we just barter for things. Essentially, I give you this item that you want or need, and you give me an item that I want or need. Understood?"

At the nods from the people seated around the table, she decided to clarify slightly.

"This works for anyone you meet here, so keep that in mind. If you decide you want to stay here, you will have access to the mess halls, and the food therein. Dismissed. John?"

"Yes, Elizabeth?"

"Would you escort our guests to their quarters? Thank you." Elizabeth stood and walked back to her office, where she sat down rather heavily, exhausted by the work brought on by moving the city to a new world. With a sigh, she returned to her paperwork.

_The Flock/mermaids(floating location):_

Sheppard led the group to a closet set in one of the walls, and was about to tap the screen when Max spoke up.

"What is that?"

"Oh, this? We call it a transporter. It is sort of like an elevator, if that helps any."

"I think I speak for all of us when I say I think we would like to go the long way."

"Why? This is quicker."

"Just…bad memories. It will take some time to get over the bad memories."

"Fine, wait a moment, and I'll get someone else to guide you. He won't mind a good run I think. Ronon?" Sheppard asked, tapping his headset. "Could you come to the Gate Room transporter? I need you to guide a group of people to their quarters, but they don't want to use the transporters because of bad memories." He paused, listening. "Thanks, I owe you one." Terminating the transmission, he turned towards the group. "Ronon will be here soon to take you to your quarters. Do me a favor, and try not to piss him off, he's kind of got a quick temper."

Max would have replied with some sarcastic comment, but Sheppard and the mermaids had already stepped into the transporter and left. A moment later, Ronon bounded around the corner.

"I'm supposed to take you to your quarters." the Setedan rumbled. "Try and keep up."

Max had to work hard to suppress a grin as the Setedan took off at what he would term a 'lope' but nearly everyone else on the base would term a 'sprint'. Max and the other flock members fell into a line behind him, moving at a quick trot. Eighteen flights of stairs later, the Setedan turned away from the stairs, and loped down the hallway, the Flock behind him, and Total working hard to keep up. The group rounded a corner, and then Ronon slowed down, seeing Sheppard standing in the middle of the hallway.

"I am just going to gesture at a door, and let one of you have it, I'm not going to try and assign rooms to anybody. It was annoying enough the first time around." This last was muttered under his breath.

"One person to a room." He gestured at seven doors, and to demonstrate how to open the door, slid his hand over the door control crystal. "Most technology here is thought activated, so when you find yourself wanting the lights to get brighter or dimmer, don't bother wondering why the lights adapted themselves to your desires within a few seconds. If you would all follow me," Sheppard walked into on of the rooms. "This," he pointed at a half-cylinder laid on it's side, with a glowing light in the center. "is your locking control. Slide your hand over this," he demonstrated "and the doors lock. For someone to get in, they would have to override the door crystals, and there are only two or three people who know how to do that. To unlock your doors again, just swipe your hand over it again." Sheppard walked out, followed by most of the group. "These three," he gestured "have already been taken by the three young ladies who came with me in the transporter. Now, I'm sure you guys can figure out the rest of what needs to be figured out. Oh, and here. This is a map of the city. It shows the whole diagram, but only important places are listed. You can keep it if you want. You guys are here…" he whipped out a pen, and drew an oval around the area they were currently standing in. "The places listed are the messes and the Gate Room. If you need help, ask someone walking by, and they'll probably be glad to help you out. I've got to go now, so see you later." Sheppard turned, and walked back to the transporter, Ronon walking beside him. Ronon said something that the rest of the Flock couldn't hear, and Sheppard roared with laughter.

Max chose a room, and after a moment, the lights brightened considerably. She settled in with what little she had, and then turned the lights down, locked the doors and went to sleep. Within five minutes, the rest of the Flock had done the same.

_Ajax' POV, 0602 hours:_

"_Come with us speeding through the night,_

_As fast as any bird in flight,_

_Silhouettes against the Mother Moon,_

_We will be there soon."_

Ajax groaned, and rolled over. Brightening the lights with a stray thought, he picked up his investigation kit, and laid it on his bed after he made it up. Picking up the dragon egg, he sat down on his bed, crossing his legs under him as he sat. Laying the dragon egg in his lap, he selected the magnifying glass, and studied the green stone intently. It peeped. Startled, Ajax laid aside his magnifying glass.

"_Baptized with a perfect name,_

_The doubting one by heart,_

_Alone without himself."_

Ajax picked up the small hammer, and gently tapped the stone on one end. It produced a clean note, and another peep. Now it began rocking about rather violently, and peeping even louder.

"_War, between him and the day_

_Need someone to blame_

_In the end, little he can do alone_

_You believe but what you see_

_You receive but what you give_

_Caress the one the Never Fading_

_Rain in your heart, the tears of snow white sorrow_

_Caress the one, the hiding Amaranth _

_In a land of the daybreak_

The peeping and rocking had reached it's most severe, and multiple cracks were visible, even without a magnifying glass

_Apart from the wandering pack_

_In this brief flight of time we reach_

_For the ones, whoever dare._

_You believe but what you see_

_You receive but what you give_

_Caress the one the Never Fading _

_Rain in your heart, the tears of snow white sorrow_

_Caress the one the hiding Amaranth_

_In a land of the daybreak_

The occupant of the stone blasted free, sending stone egg fragments everywhere. A green dragon stood on the bed, licking off the membrane encasing it.

_Reaching, searching for something untouched_

Ajax reached out, and tentatively touched the newly hatched dragon. A shock went up his left arm, blasting into his very soul, and he heard a soundless cry of rage.

_Hearing voices of the Never Fading calling, calling_

_Calling._

Ajax recovered from the shock, and looked at his hand. It itched furiously, as if he had rubbed poison ivy on his palm and then had it bitten by a spider. As he watched, a patch of silvery white spread across the itching area, and the sensation slowly died out of his hand, leaving a slight tingling sensation. As he tried to make sense of what had just happened, he pushed his mind towards the hatchling, wondering what he would find. The first thing he had found was an amazing curiosity. A moment later, he felt a ravenous hunger emanating from the dragon.

"Oh, all right," he laughed. "I'll get you something to eat." He walked out of his room, and made sure his door was closed with the dragon safely inside before running off towards the nearest mess. When he arrived, he saw that this particular branch of food service was nearly deserted save for Sheppard, Ronon, McKay, and Teyla. Walking over to the tables with food on them, he searched for meat. Finding what looked like steaks, he grabbed two, then proceeded to get a plate for himself.

"What's all that meat for?" McKay asked. "Or should I ask about the other plate of food instead?"

"The meat." Ajax replied steadily, "is for…" he hedged for a moment. "a new pet." _"Not that I see it as a pet, but we'll go with it if it gets me off the hook for now."_ He thought.

"Huh. At least it's not the blue jell-o." The scientist walked off.

"_That was close." _Ajax thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

"May I see your new pet?" Teyla asked.

"Wha-! Teyla, you scared me! I wasn't aware that you were right behind me. Sure. It's still in my quarters."

"I did not intend to frighten you. I was just curious. I had not heard about any new animals coming to the city of the Ancestors." Teyla apologized.

"That's all right. I'm over it now."

Ajax picked up a plastic fork, and after sticking it into his back pocket, he walked back to his quarters. Pushing his mind out towards his quarters, he found his hungry 'pet' was still in his quarters, and had laid back down on his bed. Standing in front of his quarters, he realized that he needed a hand free to operate the door control, but Teyla saw and opened the door for him.

"Thanks."

"You are welcome. Where is your new pet?"

"It's not actually my 'pet', at least, not if everything I've learned up to now is correct. It's a dragon. And I'm it's Rider."

Teyla noticed the small bundle moving around under the sheets, and pointed at it.

"Is that your dragon?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah, it's really hungry, that's why I picked up a couple steaks."

The dragon nosed around, finding the edge of the bed, and tumbling down with an indignant squeak.

Ajax laughed, and after setting the food down on the bed, scooped up the little dragon. It squeaked again, and he set it down on his bed. Ajax pulled a knife out of a sheath in his combat boots, and sliced up the steaks into little cubes, and then carefully guided the dragon towards the plate. He then fished out the plastic fork, and began eating. The dragon ferociously attacked the pile of meat cubes on the plate in front of it.

"For all I know," Ajax said between bites, "dragons are just as intelligent as you or me, or Rodney. They are sentient creatures, and communicate telepathically. I know what I'll name it if it turns out to be female."

"What will you call it?" Teyla asked.

"If this dragon turns out to be female, I'm going to name it Amaranth, after the song that was playing when it hatched."

"That is a very nice name." Teyla noted. "You said there was a song. May I hear it?"

"Certainly." Ajax said with a smile. He shoveled the last bite into his mouth, and went over to his Starfleet model set. Tapping the touch screen twice, he pulled up the menu, and then the sub-menu, then the sub-menu within that. Selecting the song, he set it to play, and walked back to the bed to clean up the mess. The dragon had stopped half-way through the second steak, and was curled up into a ball with a bulging stomach. Ajax placed the remnants in his mini-fridge, and sat down on the bed, stroking the dragon. It began purring as he stroked it. A moment later, it opened one eye almost as wide as it would go as the hissing of doors opening and closing could be heard, along with multiple thumps. The Flock and the mermaids had been quartered in the neighboring rooms, and were now looking for their breakfast. Ajax reached out to Angel on a level one telepathic frequency, and formally requested permission to enter her mind. After she agreed, Ajax showed here his recent memories regarding the mess and how to get there. As soon as he had finished presenting the images, he left her head, and she reached back to thank him. He acknowledged her thanks, and focused his attention on his dragon. The eye that had opened had drifted shut again, and the dragon seemed to be asleep.

_Aww, it's such a cute scene that I'll stop here for now. Somewhat longer this time, because I was once again sitting in the back of the office where my Mom works._

_Answer to Reader: Master of the Blood Wolves: I took time off to launch a new fic, and if NinthFeather isn't careful, I'll be putting the pressure on her to post a new chapter. I highly doubt the tune didn't get stuck in his head. He'll be humming that ten second snatch of a song for the next week. (If Ajax doesn't destroy him first, that is.) Sheppard can't ground Ajax. Correction, he could, but Ajax wouldn't follow it. The aircraft used in the duel, with exception to the B-17, were all relatively small in relation to the over-two-hundred-year-old Shruiken. As for the be careful not to get roasted, how the heck is Shruiken going to roast metal? Especially if said dragon can't maintain a solid lock on Ajax for more than a second because of size, and higher maneuverability on Ajax's part?_

_I do apologize to Master of the Blood Wolves for taking events, and speeding them up as far as I did. The original script called for Ajax to discover it in ol' Galby's basement, and it hatches there for him._

_Point are awarded to whoever thought that the song was indeed 'Amaranth'._

_I do not own Sabaton or Nightwish, I wouldn't be writing FF because I'd be so busy touring and getting filthy rich off of the sales._

_The Sabaton song is 'Back In Control'_

_ Review, the next chapter's coming up soon. (ish)_


	14. Lazy Day

_A/N: The next chapter is out, read it and then review it. Please. I'm in desperate need of reviews._

_Ajax' quarters:_

Ajax reached out with his mind towards the sleeping dragon, and began to transfer knowledge to the sleeping beast. Sounds were all that comprised the mini-lesson, and it was only certain sounds that Ajax transmitted for the benefit of his dragon. Teyla had left a half an hour ago and Ajax was alone. Deciding that today was his lazy day, Ajax locked his doors and curled up around his dragon, going back to sleep. Once again, fire and ice filled his dreams, causing him to shift uneasily in his sleep. The dragon, not liking where it's Rider's dreams were going, gently head-butted him in the stomach. When that didn't work, it collapsed dramatically against it's Rider's leg, who in turn woke with a start. The dragon then stood up and began purring again.

"You," Ajax began, in the sternest voice he could muster.

The dragon looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. Ajax couldn't hold the stern act, and finished with, "Are incorrigible." He laid his hand on it's head, the cool scales feeling like silk over his skin, and gently swayed it back and forth. "What am I gonna do with you, huh?"

Sweeping with his mind, he was trying to get in the habit of doing now that he was telepathic, he found McKay outside his door, fiddling with the control crystals. Swiftly picking up the tiny dragon, and ignoring it's protesting squeaks, he settled it into a comfortable position over his forearm before swiping his hand over the lock. Walking over to his door, he slid his hand over the control crystals.

The door hissed open to reveal a startled Rodney McKay. "Where's the fire?" Ajax asked flatly.

"There's no fire." McKay replied, confused.

"Earthquake? Flood? Disaster of some sort or another?" McKay was thoroughly fed up at this point. "NO! There's no disaster on Atlantis right now! And if there was, I'm sure I could fix it." This last was muttered by the Canadian scientist.

"Well, then why were you fiddling with the control crystals outside my door?"

"Oh, you saw that, did you?" His voice sounded slightly surprised. "Yes, I and figured that there would have to be an emergency since I didn't hear anybody knock, or ask if they could come in."

"Actually, you weren't responding to your radio, and someone got worried. I was asked to check on you."

Ajax's eyes narrowed and he leaned with his back against the door regarding him. "Yeah, no. I don't even need to be a telepath to bust that lie apart. I don't even have a radio yet. You just wanted to see my dragon."

"Is that what's on your arm?" Ajax cast a quick glance down at his arm but his eyes snapped back up as McKay looked at him with a smirk. McKay had caught his glance.

"Um, let me check around my room and see if there's anything else in here that remotely resembles a dragon. Yes. I would think that the smartest person in two galaxies would know what a dragon looks like. Evidently, I was mistaken."

McKay was rendered temporarily speechless, nobody had ever acted like this towards him before. Well, there was the Doranda incident…but that was different.

"I left my door locked because I didn't want to see people right now. But, I'm up now. I'm going to go to the Gate Room. Anything I should know before I go up there, right now?" Ajax glared at the man and he seemed even more surprised. He hesitated for a moment and when he spoke he sounded subdued. "Umm, no. I mean, Sheppard is up there, in a meeting with Dr. Wier, but…" Rodney trailed off, trying to think of anything else that might help improve Ajax' foul mood. He failed.

"Right, I'm going right away then. See ya." Ajax just about ran down the hallway to the transporter in his haste to get away from the pompous scientist. Tapping the screen for the Gate Room, he turned around, and watched as Rodney came up to the transporter just in time to see the doors close in front of a smirking Ajax.

_In the Gate Room:_

"No! I don't care how many times you ask, we are not going to have a Jumper racing contest, even if it is Christmas back on Earth!"

"Well, so much for that plan." John muttered.

The two turned their attention to the transporter, which had just closed. It opened again to reveal Ajax with a hatchling dragon on his left arm, cradled against his chest.

Dr. Wier shot Sheppard a look that said 'we'll come back to this later'.

"What is that?" She asked, trying to be polite.

"It's a dragon hatchling. Teyla and McKay have already seen it, and I figured that I might as well show it to everyone so that everybody knows, and doesn't have to hack open my door to see it. I'll be down in Sickbay for the next fifteen or so, if anyone needs me, just call Carson." Ajax walked away just as the transporter doors closed again. When the doors reopened, Rodney was in the Transporter, and Ajax was already halfway down the stairs to Sickbay.

_In Sickbay:_

Max and the other recombinants were getting nervous. The sounds, the smells, and the general appearance of sickbay were bringing back bad memories of the School along with nightmares of the scientists that had experimented on them. There was a total of three things keeping them from running out of sickbay as fast as they could go. The first was that Max wasn't trying to leave. (The Voice had told Max that she was safe, and she trusted it.) The second was that up to this point, Ajax had told them the truth whenever he had spoken with them. Subconsciously, they figured that if he had always told the truth previously, he would continue to do so. The third was the Dr.'s kindly Scottish brogue. "Are ye all like Ajax?" he asked.

"Yes." Max supplied. "We have our differences, but as far as most physical things go, we are alike."

"Good, that'll make things go quicker since I've already got his baseline physical."

"I'll go first." Max declared, stepping forward. She had to be brave for the others. Even Fang and Iggy who were about her age.

"Just lay down on the scanner bed, this'll take but a moment."

Max complied, shuffling her wings a little to get into a comfortable position. The scanner activated, and slid smoothly down the length of the bed, seeming to pay extra attention to her feet before returning to the head and shutting down. Max got up and walked over to the others, brushing past them comfortingly as she walked among them.

"Actually, aside from trying to get the wings in a good position for the scanner, as well as the blood test, the whole process is painless." Ajax said.

Everyone in the room jumped with the exception of Carson Beckett. They had not heard him come in. "Ajax. What are you doing here?"

"The 'stone' I beamed out of the capital city hatched for me this morning. I figured I should show it around, let it meet people, so on an so forth. Also, I had something interesting to show Carson. After you guys are done of course."

"Of course" Beckett echoed.

The baselines were completed in relatively short order, and the more curious ones remained to see what Ajax had to show Dr. Beckett.

"So, what do ye have that would have you here of all places?" the doctor asked.

"This," Ajax said, holding out his left palm towards the Scotman.

"Hmm. Is there any pain associated with it?"

"Just before it appeared, it itched like crazy, but it settled down to a tingling sensation after it had formed, and now I feel like nothing has happened there. I just wanted to see what your take on it was."

"I see. Did ye touch anything before this occurred?" the doctor asked. He turned Ajax's arm in his hands and frowned at the spiral shapes of ink. Ajax watched him and the Flock strained their necks to see what had the doctor so disconcerted.

"Yes, right before this happened, I had touched my dragon." Ajax left out the part about the sound he heard in his head. He didn't want to seem even more out of place.

"Well, I may not be an expert on dragons, but this may have been an effect of touching it. Maybe a punishment?"

"Hmm. I hadn't thought of that."

_"No."_

"Who said that?" Ajax asked.

"Said what?" Beckett asked. Ajax frowned and said, "I distinctly heard someone say 'no' right after I said I hadn't thought of the idea."

"It could have been your imagination. Or you could just be hearing things."

_"No." _This time, there was a note of amusement.

"I just heard it again…" Ajax looked at the dragon, who in turn was looking up at Ajax expectantly. "You said that."

_"Yes."_

"Carrying on a conversation with an animal as if it were sentient. This could be seen as a psychological disorder. Maybe you should see Dr. Keller." A note of concern had entered the doctor's voice, and his face mirrored it.

_"Heh, no. This is no disorder. You should tell that man that I am sentient."_

_"Are you a female dragon?" _Ajax mentally asked his dragon. A purr echoed in her chest and she cocked her head before nodding it slightly. _"Yes. And I like the name you picked out for me. It sounds lovely."_

_"So…now what?"_

_"I would like to eat, and rest. I am still but a hatchling." _Amaranth responded. The little dragon yawned. Nudge and Angel both made 'awe' sounds. Max looked slightly concerned and protective. Fang looked impassive as always while Gazzy was quickly whispering in Iggy's ear and pointed at the dragon perched on Ajax's arm. No doubt he was describing the dragon because Iggy's blue eyes were wide.

"Hey Carson, I wasn't really worried about the silver mark, it's been well documented by the Riders of old. I just wanted to show you Amaranth here."

"Amaranth?"

"Well I can't call her 'dragon', and there's no way on this planet or any other I'm going to call her 'Jane' or some equally tired female name. A dragon deserves a name with class and distinction. Also, a song by that name was playing when I bonded with her."

"Ah," said the doctor. He frowned. "So what do you plan to do?"

"Actually, I intend to return to my quarters. She's getting tired and hungry, so we're gonna get some food."

"Well, have fun. I have some Wraith samples I need to work with anyway."

"You could come with us, you know. It is close to noon."

"Aye. That it is. I'll tell ye what. I'll accompany ye to the mess hall if ye'll wait for a few minutes while I set up the cultures."

"Okay, sounds good."

While Carson worked with his alien cultures, Ajax sat down one one of the nearby chairs, and started teaching his dragon a little bit more about the world around him. The Flock all tried to crowd close but Max wouldn't' let them within more than five feet of them. She kept casting Ajax and Amaranth glances.

Carson didn't take long, and before Ajax knew it, he was standing in front of him again.

"Well, I've finished with it. Shall we go?"

"Wha- Oh, sure," Ajax said, standing up with his dragon now perched on his shoulder; her tail wrapped around his shoulder and snaked across his chest before wrapping around his neck to keep her balance. "I didn't mean to startle ye."

"Oh, that's alright. I was just teaching Amaranth a little more about the world."

"Ye act as if she is sentient." Carson observed.

Ajax and the dragon bristled slightly in their own ways. "She is sentient."

"Really? I would like to see it for myself."

Ajax glanced at his dragon and she looked into his eyes. _"Amaranth? Would you like to tell him yourself? He doesn't want to listen to me."_

_"I would be delighted to tell him." _came the response.

_"Carson, open your mind. There are many things yet beyond your comprehension. I am sentient, and while I can communicate with people other than my Rider, I prefer the mind of my Rider due to the nature of our bond. My Rider, Ajax, can better explain this to you than I can." _Her voice was gently firm, and patient.

Carson's eyes widened as Amaranth began speaking. When she finished, he took a moment to collect himself before saying to Amaranth, "I apologize for not recognizing your sentience earlier." Turning to Ajax, he continued. "This bonding she spoke of, what is it?"

Ajax stood up, and began walking towards the nearest transporter. As Dr. Beckett fell into step with him, Ajax began to explain.

"If all the manuscripts I read are correct, there was a great war. This war was fought by the dragons and the elves. It all started when an elven youth hunted a dragon and slew it as he might a deer. In that day and age, the elves had not yet gone over to a completely vegetarian diet. The dragons, angered by this loss, slew the boy who had so brazenly destroyed one of their own. But the bloodshed did not stop there. The elves did not attempt to stop the dragons from exacting their punishment upon the youth, but the dragons continued killing beyond that. Soon, the whole elven nation was embroiled in a war that neither side could hope to win.

"After some time, an elven youth by the name of Eragon found a hatchling, and cared for it as his own. He named the dragon Bid'Daum, and after the dragon was grown, he came before the elven council, and on that day, peace was forged. The dragons and elves joined into a treaty that formed the Riders. Because no mere paper would do for these noble races, the treaty was written in a magic that took nearly four days to complete. Since that day, the Riders were an intermediary for the dragons and elves.

"After a while, the Rider's worth was recognized, and they became a police force of sorts, above all ordinary kings, but not allowed to take a ruling position outside of the ranks of the Riders. The reason for the ban on taking office outside of the Riders was because the Riders never died of natural causes. With the magical treaty, the elves began experiencing longer life spans, frequently living to see a thousand years. This extended to the human Dragon Riders after the humans had been admitted into the treaty. When a hatchling dragon is touched by the person they hatched for, the two are welded to each other on a primal level that no-one has ever been able to quite explain. The mark is then created on the palm of the person who touched the dragon."

"I see. This is all quite a lot to take in. You're sure you're alright?" Ajax laughed. "Yeah. I'm probably more prepared for this than others around me are."

"Aye. So what will ye do now?"

"Right now? I'm going to tuck into a good meal."

Emma's quarters:

"You remember all that stuff Ajax was sharing with us earlier? You know about the Varden and all that?" Emma asked. She had called a meeting with the other two mermaids to discuss an idea she had.

"Yeah? What about it?" Cleo responded.

"Well, I was just thinking-"

"Uh-oh." interrupted Nikki, a teasing smile on her face. Emma rolled her eyes and glared at her friend. She wasn't mad though.

"As I was saying, I was thinking, maybe we could use our abilities, you know with magic and all, to create a shielding charm for their leader."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. I was afraid it might be something dangerous." Nikki said, continuing to tease.

Cleo and Emma both shot her a look.

"What?" The innocent act failed, and Nikki caved. "Okay, okay. I'll stop."

"Good, this is serious."

"You guys still remember all that stuff he said about magic, right?"

At the nods from the other two, Emma pressed on.

"I think we should make the charm look like a miniature Stargate. We could set a large flat sapphire into the center as the, the, oh, what do you call it? You know, the watery stuff that isn't water?"

"The event horizon?" Cleo supplied.

"Yeah, that. I'll get the gems needed, Cleo, I need you to work out the wording, and Nikki, would you make the ring section of the Stargate?"

"The wording is going to be tricky. Hmm. Okay, I know what I'll do." Cleo took a piece of paper off the desk and began scribbling notes on it.

Meanwhile, Nikki set to work on the ring, while Emma ran out, presumably for the sapphires required.

"You know, metal molding isn't all that hard. You just heat it, and then move it like you would for kinesis." Nikki commented, attempting to start a conversation.

Cleo merely said "Uh-huh." and returned to her furious scribbling out of her notes. Ten minutes went by, and Nikki finished with her part just as Emma returned with the required gems.

Looking at the ring that Nikki had fashioned, Emma said "Well, I've gotten the gems. You did a really nice job with that, Nikki."

"Thanks."

"How's the wording? Or should I ask?"

"Probably shouldn't ask." Cleo murmured, taking a brief break from her madcap writing.

"That bad?"

"That bad."

"Well, I guess I'll just get these gems set while you work that out, and then I'll help if I can."

Emma turned to Nikki, and with a shrug, began to work with setting the jewels. It wasn't long before the 'event horizon' was in place, and the chevrons were secured shortly thereafter.

"Alright, how can I help?"

"Well, I'm still trying to work out the power issue."

"Why not have them charge when in direct exposure to sunlight? That would keep it relatively well-charged, right?"

"Well, actually, yes that would work." Cleo said thoughtfully.

"Good. Do we each have a part to say, or do we just say the whole thing together?"

"Ah, we each have a part. Here." Cleo handed out pieces of paper to Nikki and Emma. "My part has to go first, then Emma, and the Nikki, after which I go again."

_A/N: Whew, that took far longer than expected, I hope that my characters aren't too mad at me. Ah well, all's well that ends well, right?_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Yes, yes indeed. So that's why you've been saying that recently. I'm glad that you didn't mind, and that you liked it. As I'm morally sure I've posted at least once, this is written for my own entertainment as well as that of my readers. I had noticed that. I think I'll need all the good writing I can get, but I make my own luck._

_Avenging Angels: Keeping promises is a very good thing, I do it all the time. Welcome aboard. Hold on tight, 'cause I'm ever so slightly off my rocker. As far as not being an SG fan, I have no intention of suing anyone over stupid stuff like that. There's already enough of that in the courts over spilled coffee that happened to be hot._

_I appreciate you're critique of my work, and will attempt to create more back-ground so that people can 'see' through my words into the lives of the characters I've borrowed from their respective sources. Heck, even Ajax is borrowed. (I borrow stuff from myself all the time. Sometimes I even return it when I'm done)_

_I have no intention of breaking the rules and posting anywhere else. Maybe I'm paranoid, but in the agreement document thingie I had to agree to, it said that I have to make sure I put stuff in the right category, or risk being booted. I'd rather write and whine about no reviews than get tons of review before getting booted. I did think about that, though._

_If you're sure the summary is confusing, I will see what I can do to fix it. (Now where'd I leave my wrench?)_

_You're critique did help._

_In return, I feel it is only appropriate that I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year._

_You'll hear from me again, I'm almost certain of it. And you are right, I have put a lot of heart and soul into it, and will continue with it. (Hey, I went to the trouble of posting 13 chapters, why stop there?  
_

_**Many thanks to my new beta, Avenging Angels, for her help with the production of this chapter. In my opinion, the story is better for it, mainly in the Flock interactions.**_

_Make someone's day,_

_Read and review._


	15. Amaranth

_A/N: Let's jump into it, and screw the top of the page stuff this time._

As the incantation began, a small effect could be observed on the trinket. It was as if it was a real albeit miniature Stargate exactly like the one installed in the Gate Room of Atlantis. A shield effect had appeared over the gem representing the event horizon, and was growing stronger with each passing word. Emma took over with the incantation, and finished her part three minutes later. Nikki spent five minutes on her part to make sure she got it right, and then Cleo 'sealed' the spell.

As soon as she had done so, the shield effect appeared in full before fading away, and the gems faded back to normal. The effect of the wording had been such that whenever the wearer was under attack, the gems and shield would illuminate while the magic protected it's user. "Do you think she'll like it?" Cleo asked.

"Probably, although I bet she'll be suspicious of it until she gets someone to check it out." Emma replied after a moment of thought.

Meanwhile, in the mess hall:

"So there I was, running from at least eight Wraith, when I find this cliff-side cave system. In fact, while I was there, I found this blaster. Anyway, so I'm ducking in and out of the caves, firing at random, and they think that there's a whole army of people out there, and start running back for the 'gate. I got about fifty of 'em before they got through the 'gate. That was probably my worst day become my best." Ronon finished his story, and returned to his meal. The team had been swapping stories about horribly bad days gone good, or really good days gone horribly wrong. The north door hissed open and Dr. Beckett walked in followed by eight bird kids, a dog, and a dragon hatchling resting on the head of one of the bird kids.

"Sheppard. Look behind you." rumbled the Setedan.

"Why? Who's back there?"

"Eight kids, the doc, and two small animals."

The group grabbed trays on their way to the lunch buffet, and Max couldn't help but think that they were rather similar to the ones in Wendy's. Today's buffet included mashed potatoes, mac-and-cheese, chicken legs, baked beans, and pizza. Gazzy chuckled when he saw the baked beans, and filled a bowl with it. Grabbing half a pizza, he found a table that nobody was sitting at, and left his food there while he went to find some silverware.

While he was away, Ajax grabbed two slices of cheese pizza, some mashed potatoes and a slice of apple pie. Sitting next to where Gazzy had left his food, Ajax pulled a packet of powder out of one of his pockets and dumped the contents into the baked beans. Taking his spoon out, he stirred in the powder, and added a spell to make sure it was fully mixed in. He the shoved it under his potatoes to hide it, and started eating his pizza. Three bites in, and Amaranth Gibbs-slapped him with her tail.

_"What about me?" _She asked.

_"OH! Right." _Ajax stood up quite suddenly, and walked over to the cook-to-order meat bar. Picking up the knife, the chef asked "What will it be today?"

"Two steaks, raw, if you please."

"Raw? Now there's an order I don't get often."

"It's for my incorrigible young dragon." Ajax returned with a smile.

_"Hey! I am not incorrigible. I think."_

_"Yeah, you don't even know yet, why make a snap judgment?"_

_"Humph, maybe because of the tone you use?" _she responded. _"Anyway, what did you put in the other person's food?"_

Ajax's grin faltered for a moment. _"If you must know, I put X-Lax in his food. He'll need to…take a dump very soon. Hey, maybe it'll even clean out his digestive system."_

Amaranth just shook her head at her Rider's antics. _"You really shouldn't stir up mischief. After all, a Rider has obligations to set the example for the people around him."_

_"Yeah, well, I'm just setting the example on what a good practical joke looks like." _Ajax picked up the plate of red cubes, and after thanking the man, returned to the table.

Sitting at the white plastic table, he set the plate down, and Amaranth slid down his arm to the table, her scales tearing at Ajax's flesh a little. It ended up not being anything more than a few scratches here and there, and those would heal quickly enough that Ajax saw no point in mentioning it to his young dragon.

As she ate, Ajax began eating, and watched as Amaranth's tail consistently swiped over his plate as it twitched much like a cat might twitch it tail. Ajax piled up some mashed potatoes right over the zone he knew her tail would cross, and within a few seconds, her tail bashed into the small mound of potatoes, sending most of it on a collision course for Ajax's shirt. Ajax blinked stupidly as the potatoes hit his shirt, and Gazzy, who had sat down next to him, smirked; his blue eyes shining.

"I guess you shouldn't heap your food there." Gazzy said as he picked up his fork.

"I guess your right." Ajax replied, working hard to keep from full-blown laughing.

"So…can I touch...it?"

"Her, not it, and you would have to ask her about that. I don't know how she would respond to that, and you should probably ask Max about it. She seemed suspicious of my happy hatchling."

Gazzy's face feel slightly and he messed with his potatoes. Ajax's eyes strayed to the plate but he looked back up as Gazzy sighed. "I'd rather not ask Max, 'cause she'll say no."

"Are you suggesting that 'tis be to beg forgiveness than ask permission? 'Cause I don't think that'll go over real well with her."

"It hasn't yet." Gazzy stopped talking and began eating again as he saw Max approaching with her tray of food.

Max set her food down, a little harder than necessary, and Ajax jumped a little despite himself.

"Gazzy?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm. "Could you find a seat farther away from the lizard?"

Amaranth looked over at Max and ever so slightly hissed. This only served to reinforce Max's suspicions, and then Amaranth chose to deal with the situation.

_"You would do well to remember that I am no mere 'lizard', even if I do look similar to one right now. I will not harm those who will not harm my partner, but rather protect even them from harm. While it is true that I am a dragon, and will be a fearsome hunter one day, I am not a wild one, and will not behave as a wild dragon might."_

Max's eyes widened, and she drew a breath before saying "Gaz? Never mind, you can sit there." She still sounded suspicious but as she looked into Amaranth's eyes she nodded slightly.

Angel had been reading Max's mind when Amaranth delivered her little speech, and chuckled a little. Amaranth returned to her cubed meat, and had eaten all but two of them when she stopped, and said _"My friend, I am full and happy. Would you like the last two pieces?"_

Ajax thought about it, and decided that he would save them for later. Murmuring a chilling spell over the meat, he returned to his own meal. Angel had sat down next to Ajax and kept trying to get into his head. Ajax, not wanting to keep eating while having a mental duel, asked Amaranth about it.

_"ANGEL!"_

Angel shook like a leaf in a gale, and nearly burst into tears before recovering. Ajax face palmed himself before saying _"Amaranth, did you have to scare her like that?"_

_"It was best that she learn not to enter the minds of others without their permission."_

_"Yeah, but could you have been a little more gentle about it?"_

_"I am a dragon. I see no point in beating the birds."_

_"…don't you mean 'beating about the bush'?"_

_"You knew what I meant." _she snapped.

_"Touché" _Ajax replied.

"Angel, I am sorry that she chose to shout at you like that. It was not my intention that you be scared, but I do need you to stay out of my head, okay?"

"Okay." Angel whimpered.

Max jumped into the conversation with "I'm not sorry. I've warned Angel time and again about reading people's minds, and she hasn't listened." She cast a glance at Angel that was disapproving. But at the look of fear still imprinted on her face from Amaranth's reprimandation Max smiled softly and pulled Angel into a small hug. Angel's face softened and she smiled too.

Ajax finished eating, and left his tray at the reclamation station, and, after draping Amaranth over his shoulders, he picked up the meat and walked to his quarters. The rest of the Flock followed, having finished at about the same time as he did. As he walked, he started to notice that the door crystals were glowing a little more brightly as he approached. Slowing down as he got to his door, he examined the crystals. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, using his raptor vision to sight in on the crystals. He took one step forwards, and the door made the cling-swash sound as if he had swiped his hand over the controls. The doors then opened. Stepping inside, he crouched to let Amaranth get onto the bed, then put away the meat, releasing the magic that had kept it cold.

Iggy followed him in while the door was still open. Amaranth had been cleaning her scales much like a cat might when she froze, and looked straight at Iggy.

_"You are the blind one." _she murmured. Her voice was odd somehow, but Ajax couldn't place how it was different.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." Iggy said bitterly. The Flock all glanced at Iggy and Nudge frowned at Amaranth. The dragon did not notice. Her eyes remained on Iggy's face.

Ajax closed the door of his mini-fridge, and stood up. He stopped dead when he saw his hatchling's eyes. They had gone from a pure and deep emerald to a piercing laser blue. Ajax recovered after a moment, and picked her up. She settled into a comfortable position, and Ajax held her out towards Iggy's face. Iggy hadn't seen what was going on, and was unsure about it. He did hear the ever so slight rustling of scales, very close to his face, and backed up.

_"Do not be afraid, blind one. Harm will not befall you."_

Ajax realized that somehow, he was a prisoner within his own body, and that Amaranth, or some force beyond, he wasn't sure yet, was controlling him. He stepped forwards again, and held Amaranth up to Iggy's face. Amaranth stretched out her neck, and made contact, her nose to his. An electric spark seemed to jump from her nose to Iggy, and he fell back with a startled cry.

Max, who had been standing outside, decided to find out what was going on in there, and swept her hand over the control. The door chimed, then opened. The first thing Max saw was Iggy sitting on the floor, and Ajax standing blankly with Amaranth stretched out on his arm, both with laser blue eyes. A moment later, their eyes faded to their respective colors, and Ajax seemed to snap out of his trance. Amaranth began to purr, and curling herself up in his arms, went to sleep.

"What. Did You. Do." Max ground out as she knelt next to Iggy. She put her hand on his shoulder and glared up at Ajax and his sleeping dragon.

"I have no clue, you might ask her that question, and I'm not completely sure she knows."

Iggy stood up. "I'm fine, Max." he said, blinking. "Actually, I'm better than fine." He was barely containing his excitement.

"What do you mean?"

"I can see, Max! I can see you, I can see the walls, everything! And it's not just black and white, I can see colors! Max, I can see!"

_"Max. It is safe for you to be around the dragon. Don't fight what is inevitable, go with the flow."_

"Damn fortune cookie." Max muttered. Ajax overheard, and asked "What fortune cookie?"

"Nothing. Just…nothing. Forget about it."

"Okay. Jeez. Don't have to be so uptight." Continuing on mentally, Ajax said _"Amaranth? I'm going to go back down to sick bay. I'll be back in…thirty. Okay?"_

_"Okay."_

Setting her down on the bed, he turned and walked out. The little dragon stood and arched her back before yawning and curling up for an afternoon nap. No sooner had he stepped out of his room when _Le Gasman _lit up, and cranked one. Closing the door, Ajax ran like the wind, hoping that he could get out of that section before Atlantis decided to spare the rest of the population from the stench. Yelling over his should he said "Atlantis has environmental sensors. She'll lock this place down very soon!" Seeing the door ahead, he continued running.

The door began closing, and he put on a fresh burst of speed. He got through just as the doors closed. Taking the nearest transporter, he went to the Gate room. Once there, he found a frenzy, and watched as McKay came barreling out of the transporter.

"What's the emergency?" he yelled.

"We've had a localized environmental lockdown in section 3-C. The computer doesn't seem to have a match for it in the database."

"I'll give you a clue." Ajax said dryly. "They don't call him 'The Gasman' for nothing. And, not that I'm admitting to anything, he's had X-Lax. That could cause a 'slight' issue."

"You didn't." McKay had just about stopped dead.

"Yeah, I did." Ajax said with a sigh. "Would you like me to ask Atlantis to open windows in that area?"

"No, I can do it." McKay said, pushing buttons. "Hey, this says that the windows are already open. That's odd. Well, the 'unknown' pathogen has cleared out. And the doors have unlocked…now!"

"Well, for my part, I had thought that it would clear his system out, but obviously that didn't work." Ajax scuffed his boot across the white tiles and grinned at McKay who looked ready to burst.

"DON'T try it again, or I swear, I will let Ronon beat your sorry butt from here to the mainland."

"Speaking of-" Ajax said, trying to change the subject, "Have you taken a Jumper out to the mainland?"

"No, not yet," McKay admitted. "We've been busy with landing protocols. You know, getting the city reset and all that stuff." With that he turned and walked away, leaving Ajax to stare after him.

_Answers!_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Well, I'm thinking about having Voyager being a ship 'loyal' so to speak to Atlantis, but I'm not quite sure how to work it out yet. SGers and Trekkers 'may' come calling next chapter. As for the leisurely pace, I know you can't complain. It wouldn't make a difference, and besides, slower pace means more chapters._

_Thanks to Avenging Angels as my beta._

_Read, and…don't play with fire! _


	16. The Varden

_A/N: I'm kind of rushing this chapter, hoping to get it up by Christmas (Eve?), and I have the whole house to care for this week, so…things are a little tight. On the other hand, I have full permission to decorate as I choose…On with the story! (And if you don't already, review!)_

In Dr. Wier's office:

Dr. Wier was tapping on her laptop, going through the monotonous yet somehow necessary mountain of paperwork to do. Because it was all digitized, there was no problem with sending various reports to a single point all at once, and she found it was easier than writing it all out. "John?" she called, tapping her headset. "Will you please report to my office? I need to speak with you." She paused, listening to whatever the person on the other end was saying. "Thank you." Tapping her earpiece again, she terminated the transmission. She then walked out to Ops, and had Chuck open a channel to the _Intrepid_-class starship that was currently sitting on the pier normally reserved for the _Daedalus_.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Federation Starship _Voyager_."

"We are preparing to send a delegation to the mainland. Would you like to accompany us?" Dr. Wier asked.

"We would be glad to. When are you leaving?"

"We leave in ten minutes, just as soon as Sheppard finds another ATA pilot. He will be taking a Jumper to the mainland with his team, and there will be a delegation aboard, but we are sending a second Jumper with some other people as well."

"We'll just take our shuttle craft." came Janeway's response. There was another voice in the background, but Wier couldn't make it out.

"I'm sorry, what was that? We got the part about taking a shuttle craft, but beyond that…?" She left the question hanging in the air.

"I had said that I bet I can beat your best pilot." A male voice could be heard.

"Really?" Dr Wier's lips curled into a smile. "Well, I'll just have to ask our best pilot about that. Atlantis out."

Chuck didn't even need to be told, and cut the communications link. "Chuck, could you please send someone to get the new arrivals in here, I need to talk to them."

"Yes, ma'am." Chuck tapped his radio, and then after a short conversation, said "They're on their way. You did mean the kids that came in with Ajax, right?"

"We're not kids."

Max was standing at the base of the steps, scowling. The rest of the Flock walked in flanking their leader, and then the mermaids stepped out of the transporter.

"So, what's the rush all about?" Cleo asked, curious.

"We're going to the mainland, and we thought you might like to go along." Dr. Wier stated, while getting ready.

"Sure, we'll come." Max said, after conferring with her group. The mermaids didn't even hesitate.

"When do we leave?" Emma asked impatiently. She tapped her foot against the tiled floor and crossed her arms over her chest. Behind her Cleo and Nikki looked equally impatient.

"Right away." Dr. Wier replied, smiling a little. ART-1 and 2 came running around the corner, ready for action.

"That's a lot of firepower." Nikki noted quietly.

"It's just for show." Major Lorne explained. "You see, when leaders deal with leaders in a primitive society like this, even friendly leaders need to look like they have a lot of power."

"Oh."

Max was pointedly glaring at the guns, but Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy were all quite interested. Max saw the looks on their faces and switched from glaring at the guns to glaring at the boys in her Flock. Iggy and Gazzy both took on looks of innocence while Fang looked blankly back at Max. Max sighed and pulled Angel closer. The little girl blinked at the guns and her wings twitched.

"Well, the Jumper bay is this way." Dr. Wier said gesturing towards the stairs.

"Jumper bay? As in like an aircraft?" Max queried, all business.

"Yes, why?"

"We'll just fly if you don't mind too much. Besides, we haven't had a chance to spread our wings for a couple days now. It'd be good to go out for a trip."

"You can fly? Oh, yes. I had forgotten about the report that Dr. Beckett sent me. Well, alright. We will leave the back door open if you decide you want a ride."

"I highly doubt that will ever happen." Max muttered.

"Oh, and has anyone seen Ajax?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm already up here." came the call from the direction of the stairwell and Ajax's head poked around the corner. He gave a short wave and Amaranth flicked her tail at the others before they disappeared once more.

"In that case, I think we are ready."

Voyager's bridge:

"Paris, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Harry, with me. Seven, you have the bridge." Janeway strode over to the turbo lift, and stepped inside. Her officers followed a moment later.

"Captain." The Vulcan stated. "I believe it would be advisable for us to carry weapons."

"How so, Tuvok?"

"In a primitive culture, the leader of a people should appear to be a strong and formidable enemy, even if their intentions are peaceful."

"What do you suggest?"

"I think it best that we carry phaser rifles. They look like they could do the most damage, whereas our hand phasers would look like useless trinkets." Tuvok twirled his own hand phaser with his fingers. Captian Janeway frowned.

"I agree with Tuvok on this one, Captain." Chakotay said, attempting to erase any doubts in his captain's mind. Janeway shook her head then nodded determinedly."Very well. You four will carry weapons, and flank me." She made a face at the notion of weapons. "I'm carrying coffee to this meeting. I will also have the Doctor come along." The five exited the turbo lift, and while Captain Janeway went to get the Doctor and a pot of steaming hot coffee, Tuvok and the other three bridge officers went to retrieve phaser rifles. They met in the shuttle bay, and after a moment, decided on the Delta Flyer.

In the Delta Flyer:

Paris set down his weapon in the back, and settled into the pilot's seat. Guiding the small craft out, he set the Flyer down near the ship, and waited for the Jumper to appear.

An incoming transmission was received, and Paris heard "Hey, best pilot here. I can kick your rear end with this thing. You are _so_ on!" It was Ajax, and a moment later, the Jumper shot past the Delta Flyer, leaving Tom to catch up.

"It would appear that his craft is capable of considerable speed." Tuvok noted dryly.

"Yeah, thanks Tuvok. I'm sure I couldn't have figured that out myself." Tom said, slightly miffed. The two craft shot towards the shore, following the first Jumper. They crossed the shoreline, and Ajax came on again. "Hey, I won. We need to slow down though, I'm not supposed to pass the other Jumper."

"Right. Rematch you on the way back."

"Nah, I make it a rule not to kick someone's rear twice in one day." A teasing note had entered Ajax' voice.

"I think you're afraid." Tom challenged. Behind him, Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"No…I just think that if you make an unreasoned exception, you begin making exceptions all over the place, and then there's no real reason for the rule in the first place." Ajax argued. "Now, I'm going to get off of the radio, and get my game face on. I suggest you do the same." The computer bleeped softly, indicating that Ajax had ceased transmissions. The ever-changing terrain gave way to a sea of tents, and ahead of the Delta Flyer, the lead Jumper was slowly finding a place to set down.

Varden airspace:

In the end, Ajax locked into a loose loop, and cloaked so as to not frighten the people below. Paris locked the computer into a following pattern, and watched to see what Jumper One was doing. It settled down directly in front of a red pavilion, and the occupants got out. Tuvok set the transporter, and the Starfleet group beamed down directly behind Jumper One. Ajax set his craft down, and allowed the mermaids that were aboard to disembark, then took off again, looking for a spot to park. Finding an area, he set the Jumper down, and shut down all systems. Closing the door by hand, he then took a running jump into the air, headed for Jumper One. After parking Jumper One, Ajax again took flight, and this time, landed in front of the pavilion, and requested entrance.

Lady Nasuada's Tent:

"Ajax requests entrance!" roared an Urgal, bashing his weapon on his shield.

"Allow him in." Nasuada replied.

Once inside, Ajax saw that everyone had more or less separated by relations. Max was standing off to one side, with the Flock arrayed behind her. 'Lady' Wier had ART-1 and 2 behind her, Captain Janeway had her group arrayed like a trapezoid, with the narrow end facing Nasuada, and the mermaids were in a loose group, not really trying to hold a certain position. Ajax had bonds with the Flock. He also had bonds with Atlantis, and the mermaids. But he was also unique in a way that the others were not. He was a Rider. Having made up his mind, he walked over to Eragon, and stood slightly behind him, on the right. Nobody missed the statement he was making, but Nasuada was forced to ask the question merely because of her position.

"Are you insinuating that you are a Rider?" she asked quietly.

"No, not insinuating it; I am a Rider. And I'm not loyal to the royal scumbag in Uru'Baen."

There was complete silence for a moment, and the Nighthawks arrayed about Nasuada shifted uneasily. The elves reacted as any good Vulcan might, reserving their reactions for a later time. Saphira was the first to speak.

_"Prove it." _she rumbled, thinking out to everyone in the tent.

Ajax said nothing, but withdrew his left arm out of the coat he was wearing. On his arm rested the third dragon that had been rescued. "Proof enough?" he asked, dead calm.

_"Your mark. Show the mark."_

Ajax pulled the fingerless racing glove off of his left hand, exposing the gedwëy ignasia.

_"That is proof enough." _Amaranth said, also thinking out to everyone. _"He is my Rider, and I am his dragon. Now, if we could get down to business?" _Her tone was polite, but brisk.

Captain Janeway stepped up with her pot of coffee. "On behalf of the _Voyager_ crew, I would like to offer you this gift of coffee, and pledge our support to your cause."

Lady Nasuada had no clue what 'coffee' was, but if these people were sending it as a gift, it was probably good. Not knowing for certain though, she said "These are dangerous times. Would it be seen as in insult if I were to have Eragon here look for poisons?"

"Oh, heavens no. I would probably do the same if our positions were reversed."

"Thank you. Eragon?"

Eragon stepped forward and after muttering under his breath for a few moments nodded that he had found nothing dangerous. "It's safe." he said, before returning to his place.

Cleo stepped forward then, holding the shielding charm that she and the others had worked with. "On behalf of the mermaids, I give you this, and our support. You can have Eragon check it out if you need to." With a curtsey, she also stepped back.

Nasuada was taken aback. She had no clue that any of the old stories about mermaids were true. Having them would be a very impressive boost to her cause.

Eragon looked it over, and after several minutes drew a shaky breath.

"There are a variety of wards over this necklace." he said. "But nothing dangerous. It is powered by the gems built into the charm."

"The wards cover three things." Emma said. "When you are wearing it, any magical attack will be deflected. Also, any ordinary attack will be deflected. The third thing is that the only person that can remove it is the person wearing it. Exposure to direct sunlight will charge the gems on it, if ever they run low."

Nasuada tried hard not to show it, but she was impressed. The fact that three young women had crafted such a fine piece, and laid such an impressive web of spells over it…It was nothing less than impressive. Nasuada stood and curtsied in return.

"Thank you. This means far more than you know."

Returning to her seat, she decided to put it on at once. As soon as the cool silver chain made contact with her skin, the 'glower' effect could be seen running around the miniature Stargate. One by one, the chevrons lit up, then the 'event horizon'. A shield appeared in front of the 'event horizon', and then the charm completely shut down, reserving it's energies for incoming attacks.

"What was that?" she asked, curious about the effect of having put it on.

"Oh, that was just the shields booting up, so to speak." Nikki supplied. "Now it's actually ready to defend you." Nikki glanced at the other two mermaids who nodded.

'Lady' Wier stepped forward towards Nasuada's chair. "I am Lady Wier, Queen of Atlantis. Our resources are at your disposal, and we are standing by, ready and willing to help." Stepping back, she murmured something to Sheppard. "I hope I didn't overplay that."

"Not if this means I'm the King of Atlantis." He shot back with a grin.

"You little devil." she whispered. His only response was a cocky grin.

Max, seeing as how everyone else had gone and pledged their help, decided to do the same.

"On behalf of six freaks on nature, I am here to tell you that we will help with your war-thing that you have going on." Max looked to the rest of the tent and her eyes locked with every face. But, as her eyes met Nasuada's, they hardened into a look of determination. This looked was mirrored in the eyes of the Flock as they nodded at the dark skinned woman behind the desk.

_A/N: Well, that was interesting, to say the least. I won't be doing anything more until AFTER Christmas, so don't expect anything until…the 27__th__ at the earliest._

_Answer to Master of The Blood Wolves: That's it? That's ALL you have to say? Come on, man, I know you can do better than that. I had been thinking about the team lately and Ziva's propensity towards misdirected sayings came to mind, so I used it. As for the Gibb's Slap, just you wait for the Gibb's Sip._

_Credits: Avenging Angels is doing an excellent job with rounding the story off a little, so as to take the sharp corners off of the prototype, and have it ready for production. _Voyager_ is not mine. _Stargate Atlantis_ is not mine. _Inheritance Cycle_ is not mine. _H2O_ is not mine. _Maximum Ride_ is not mine. And lastly, any mentions to other shows, movies or books, are not mine. Now that we know what's mine and what ain't, review, and for cripe's sake, NO ONE LINERS! (separating it out into three different lines that are four words long does not count as something bigger than a one liner)_


	17. Death

_A/N: Whatevah._

Nasuada blinked, unsure of the reason or story behind the hard looks on the faces of the people with this young lady. Only three looked even close to old enough to be on the field of battle, the other three looked like children that had no place in battle.

"We're more than just children." the youngest of the girls stated.

Nasuada carefully maintained her expression. Telepathy was normal here, but she still didn't like it.

"Angel! I have told you time and again to quit reading people's minds! Now apologize to her, it's not polite." The eldest of the females seemed to be the leader, at least from Nasuada's point of view when she realized. Not a leader, a mother. The youngest male sniggered at the youngest girl who resembled him greatly; related perhaps.

"Gaz, don't even start." The warning in the older girl's tone was enough, and he straightened up, but not before muttering "Since when did we give a hoot about what's polite?"

"Since the time that we found out we would no longer have to fight every day just for survival, Gazzy." The eldest of the males spoke up, emotionless as ever.

Tuvok watched the interaction, and found that he was very intrigued by the eldest male. He looked as if he had no emotions, but the Vulcan knew that it was not true. People, especially humans, did not not have emotions.

Angel walked over to Nasuada. "I am sorry for reading your mind." she began contritely. "I was curious, and your mind was different somehow."

"I forgive you." Nasuada said carefully. "But please try not to do it without permission. There are people that would kill you for invading the privacy of their minds." She paused a moment, not wanting to dwell on the telepathy problem. "May I ask what you meant by 'more than just children'?"

The group tensed slightly, then relaxed slowly. "Angel, will you do the honors?" the eldest asked.

Angel shrugged off her coat, then carefully, so as not to break anything, spread her wings. The Atlantis people had either seen all this before or had good poker faces. The Voyager crew was the same, although a soft bleeping sound could be heard coming from the one with the odd badge on the side. The Nighthawks shifted uneasily, muttering among themselves. Angel folded her wings back in, and stepped back into the group.

"And you are all this way?" Nasuada asked.

"Yeah, we all have wings, but we also have varying abilities. I can fly incredibly fast, Angel can read minds, Fang can…, where is he now?" The eldest of the females, Nasuada hadn't heard her name yet, looked about in irritation. Suddenly, the black-clad male stepped to the side slightly. Nobody had seen him until he moved. _"Fang," _here she drew out the word "Can disappear and nobody would be the wiser. Iggy can cook, and feel colors, and he has skills as a blind guy. He also works with delicate things, helping our resident stink-bomb build regular bombs out of nearly anything. Don't get downwind of the Gasman."

"I've never heard your name." Nasuada noted.

"Oh." she said sheepishly. "I guess you would want to know my name if I'm going to help you. I'm Maximum Ride."

"And may I ask what magic you employed to have wings?"

"No, you may not. I'd rather not talk about it." Max seemed to be tense and irritated about the question. Nasuada would look into it later. Suddenly, a page boy burst into the tent, saying "There are TWO dragons on the horizon! And one of them is the size of a small mountain!"

"Calm down." Lady Nasuada ordered, all business as the boy panted and the others in the tent grew tense. "What colors?"

"Red on the smaller one, and the monstrous one is black."

While the page and Nasuada were talking, Ajax turned to Eragon and said "Erm, excuse me. I need to let go of lunch." Handing Amaranth to Eragon, he dove under the tent wall, and lost his lunch.

Within the tent, Saphira tilted her head, and aimed a mental question at Amaranth.

_"He can smell the black king's approach."_

Eragon shuddered.

_"The issue can be resolved only by him taking action against the black hearted king." _she continued.

Eragon nodded. "My Lady," he began, hoping to get their attention. "I think there is one who will stand against the traitor."

"Who? Is he strong enough?"

"Ajax. He can't stand the smell of evil unless he's fighting it."

Outside the tent, Ajax wiped what was left out of his mouth with a piece of paper towel, and then burned it with a word. Crawling back into the tent, he accepted Amaranth back from Eragon, and fished out a rectangular black felt jewelry box. Opening it, he saw seven pins. He closed it again, and chucked it over to the Flock. Max snatched it out of the air easily, and opened it. Without actually invading Angel's mind, Ajax said _"Wear the pins. They may save your life in battle."_

The pins were fashioned out of gold, and studded with diamonds. It was reminiscent of the wings of gold that the Air Force wore. Max looked at Ajax with a question in her eyes.

Walking over, Ajax said "I thought that the wings of gold seemed appropriate. Please wear them, the black rider is more powerful than Itex, Chu, the Uber-Director, or anyone else you may have faced in your entire life, condensed together. He's mean, he's lean, he's old, and insane. He will kill you if he doesn't slave you."

With a sharp nod of understanding Max accepted the pins, and proceeded to pin one on each member of the Flock before pinning the final one on her own chest. Ajax was gearing up for the impending battle, and listening to Dragonforce.

" Full the moon and midnight sky Through the dark they ride Warriors of forever will sacrifice the night" Ajax handed Amaranth to Nasuada, asking her told hold Amaranth until the battle was over. Amaranth protested, saying that she was a dragon and should give battle like any proud member of her race would. Ajax ordered her to stay, and she consented, but only because she knew he wanted her safe, and one day, it would be the other way around. Looking at Max, he sang with the next section of the intro.

"One for all and all for one The future time has come Faces filled with torment Your heart beats like a drum…" Shifting his attention to Eragon, he continued."Never will you look back again You'll fight on 'til the end…"

The last lines were directed at Amaranth. "Together we will live on Forever more…"

Ajax strode out of the tent with deadly purpose radiating off of him. Nasuada fought off a shiver of fear, even though she knew she had nothing to fear. The Flock followed, and the big burly man behind Lady Wier pulled out his weapon, and checked it. Satisfied, the big man leaned out of the tent, aiming his weapon. He fired off two shots before he realized that it would do no good. A javelin came flying towards him, and only his inhumanly quick reflexes enabled him to dodge the spear that had been hurled at him.

"He's good, Sheppard." the man grunted.

"Well, Chewie, we'll just have to show him a little more warm welcome than that. ART-2, go across, take your positions and fire at will. ART-1 will stay on this side and do the same. Move out!" ART-2 ran out of the tent, one at a time, and then ART-1 moved outside.

"I'm going in." Ajax announced. There was no question in his voice, no qualm with what he was about to do. Outside, burps of gunfire sounded, and Nasuada realized from Eragon's initial flinch that the charm was apparently protecting her from the noise of gunfire. Ajax strode out of the tent, and Amaranth whimpered, but held to her promise, hoping her Rider would return soon. Nasuada walked to the door of the tent just in time to see Ajax fling himself into the sky, screaming bloody defiance. The now somewhat familiar beam of light swept through him, and the Enterprise-D banked slightly away from the approaching tyrant. A full spread of miniature photon torpedoes streaked through the sky, hitting the shields of the dark king. Phaser fire followed a moment later.

Seeing that it had no effect, Ajax fled the engagement as an F-14 Tomcat. The hot exhaust was aimed directly at Galbatorix when the afterburners lit up, propelling the F-14 out of the immediate area of the black dragon. Reversing course, Ajax let loose six missiles before changing back to the familiar form of an avian American. The missiles nearly depleted the dark king's energy, and Shruiken was forced to land out of sheer exhaustion. Thorn and Murtagh had their own battle with Eragon and his complement of twelve elves helping him.

Ajax followed the swiftly recovering dragon, and landed on Shruiken's back so as to do hand to hand battle with the dark king. Ajax pulled out a battleth while Galbatorix pulled out his own sword. Surprisingly, the sword was not black, but a pearl grey. Realizing that peal grey was the color of his dragon, Ajax swung hard, and connected with the upraised sword. Galbatorix realized he didn't stand much of a chance in match of physical strength, and so, when a group of crows came flying past, he transmuted them into solid steel, and aimed them at Ajax.

Ajax dodged left and as the first of the steel crows crashed into the ground. He whirled and raised his battleth above his head before swinging it down.

Ajax delivered the killing stroke quite by accident, he had intended to stop the king from using magic, and force him to stand trial for his crimes, but Galbatorix, knowing all was lost, threw himself in the way of Ajax's weapon. The metal crows struck Ajax, causing grievous amounts of damage, and Ajax lost his footing before falling to the ground before Nasuada's tent. The red dragon and his Rider, now freed, fled the wrath of Eragon, deciding to wait for a bit before telling him that he had been freed. Ajax died in front of the tent, but not before he said _"Don't mourn me yet, Amaranth."_

The holographic doctor pulled out his medical kit, and with his medical grade tricorder, scanned Ajax. The results turned up nothing, and the Doctor sadly closed Ajax's eyes. Inside, Amaranth felt her Rider expire, and could not contain herself any longer. Shrieking with the pain of loss, and rage over the unfairness of it all, she half ran, half flew to the door, and laid down on her Rider, daring anyone to approach her in her grief and rage. Unable to do anything, the Doctor packed away his equipment, and knelt next to the fallen Rider. "I'm sorry." he said, unable to think of anything else to say. One by one, the remaining personnel filed back into the tent, reminded once again of the terrible price of war.

_Had to stop it there folks! Anyways, answers to any questions Master of the Blood Wolves might have for me: The Wraith are still out there, they just don't have the location of Atlantis, and nobody's been going through Atlantis' gate, so…it's as if the folks at Atlantis just disappeared. The Wraith are wary, and a little worried, but they ain't seen nothing yet!_


	18. Living again

_HW: I hope I haven't pissed anyone off._

_Amaranth: You wrote the death of my Rider!_

_HW: So? You should read your Rider's back-story a little bit. Next!_

_The song here is Amaranth (orchestral version) go look it up, then come back here to read this. Go ahead, I'll wait. Found it? Good._

As Amaranth sat near her Rider, howling her grief and rage to the world around her, an ethereal mist descended upon her Rider, and a beautiful strain of music could be heard. Amaranth continued to cry in her own way, small, crystalline tears sliding rapidly over her scales, but subsided a bit. All of a sudden, she heard the sharp intake of breath from somewhere under the white mist.

"Someone get out here now!" she cast out mentally towards the tent. After a brief discussion, the Doctor exited the tent, and flipped open his tricorder. There was a soft bleeping sound as the worried hologram swept a blinking red cylinder over the fallen Rider. Turning to address the green hatchling, he said in an astonished voice "He's alive, but still in critical condition. I'd recommend letting him recuperate for a month or two." Turning back to the young man, he made another pass with his blinking red cylinder, and found that even more damage had been healed. The Doctor's eyes widened and he blinked away his amazement so that he could maintain a more professional look.

"At this rate, he'll be fully healed in about a minute." the Doctor said, flipping his tricorder closed, and standing up again. Amaranth quit sobbing, but her near-loss still showed on her face. The white mist cleared away, and Ajax sat up, blinking hard to clear something from his eyes. As soon as he was able to see again, his gaze found Amaranth. "Oh, boy. Here goes." he muttered. The hatchling tackled him, making a sound of pure delight as she did so.

"I thought I had lost you!" she cried.

"I did say, 'don't mourn me yet." Ajax reminded her. The Flock filed out of the tent to see what the commotion was all about, and they found Ajax and Amaranth just in time to see her administer the Gibb's Slap to her Rider. Ajax, for his part, looked like someone had dumped a bucket of ice down his shirt. The members of the Flock laughed then, amused to see a dragon smack her Rider hard in the back of the head.

"You know, that sort of thing could cause head trauma." Ajax mock complained, rubbing the back of his head which throbbed.

Amaranth didn't respond, but merely slapped him again. Ajax stood up, and opened his wings fully, and a few wispy remnants of the white mist that had healed him floated away. Ajax considered the crows for a moment, then followed the Flock back into the tent, Amaranth securely draped over his shoulders, her purr so loud his ears hummed.

At the inquisitive looks on everybody's faces, Ajax took his place slightly behind Eragon once again, but did not offer any explanation. Finally, after a strained silence, in which everyone was staring at Ajax, Kathryn Janeway sighed, and said "What happened?" in the same resigned voice she would have used if Tom Paris had landed himself in jail again.

"My injuries healed, and Life returned to me." Ajax stated, unwilling or unable to go farther.

The captain made a face, but didn't press the issue.

"So," 'Lady' Weir said, trying to get back to the meeting, "Where do you go from here? From what I heard, the man on the black dragon was the guy we moved the city here to fight against. Now he's dead, his slaves freed, by all rights, the war is over except for the shouting."

Nasuada smiled at this and said "Well, there's still Morzan's spawn to deal with, and his dragon, but I think that other than that we should be just about done with the war. We still have to move to the capital, and fully break everything that the king has set up, but again, it should not pose nearly so much the issue that we had before the black traitor was killed."

"Maybe we could set up a security detail." Sheppard offered. "It might not look like it, but these things can do some serious damage. If we show the locals what these can do, they probably won't try anything stupid." he added.

Nasuada considered it, then accepted though she did not like the idea of her people being suppressed by greater forces again even if it was for their own good. "If everyone here is still willing to help us out, then could you have your people" here she gestured at the Flock. "Look for Murtagh? We need to know where he is, and what he's doing." The members of the Flock dipped their heads in an affirmative motion, and Nasuada continued on. "What is the Voyager crew good at?"

Kathryn smiled at this, but Tuvok answered. "We have excellent medical and scanning technologies. We could search for…anomalies that could be the result of…of…"

"Magic?" Chakotay finished for the Vulcan.

"I do not believe in magic, Commander." The Vulcan replied stoically.

The Voyager crew hid a smile. "I would prefer to call it 'the manipulation of energy'. How it is done, I do not know."

"Well, I could make good use of people who can detect the 'manipulation of energy', recent or otherwise." Nasuada replied with a smile.

Tuvok cocked an eyebrow, then said "I fail to see what is so amusing about my explanation."

"Are all of your people like this?" Nasuada asked, curious about the austerity of the dark skinned man.

"Many of my people follow the teachings of Sarak. But there are some who still try to experience emotion, and cast aside logic." Tuvok replied.

Nasuada felt a headache coming on. "you're telling me that you don't laugh, you don't smile, you don't cry…in general, you push aside and reject emotion? I have a hard time believing you."

"With exception to the Pon Farr, Vulcans suppress their volatile emotions. It is only during the Pon Farr that we are unable to suppress our emotions, and it is also the only time that Vulcans engage in mating. It occurs only once every seven years."

NCC 1701 Enterprise-D: Engineering:

"Why do you engage in vulgarity in times of stress? It does nothing to deal with the situation at hand." Data had decided to turn to Geordi LaForge for help this time, seeing as how he was in Engineering, and the crew had just managed to stave off a warp core breach.

"Well, Data, it's like this. When we humans are under extreme stress, like a warp core breach, we have all this emotion building up inside of us. Fear, and anger, to name a few. We engage in vulgarity to let go of some of that bottled up emotion, allowing us to better deal with the situation."

"I do not understand."

"Uhh, when we have all that emotion building up inside of us, we can't think as clearly. Now do you get it?"

"I think so. Thank you for explaining that to me, Geordi."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I am going to the bridge. I believe I am needed there."

Bridge:

"Ah, mi Capitan. How good to see you again." a rather familiar and unwelcome entity was once again on the bridge of the Enterprise.

"Q. What are you doing here this time?" Captain Picard ground out, his eye brows pulled together in anger and his mouth set into a hard line.

"Oh, nothing much, really. I'm just going to borrow your pet android for a little bit." The cocky being said.

"Data? But he's needed here." protested Deanna Troi.

"I don't think so. Besides, he'll be back before you know it." Q snapped his fingers, and disappeared.

The command tent of the Varden:

There was a bright flash of light, and two people clad in a Starfleet uniform appeared. One was wearing a yellow uniform, and had unnaturally pale skin. He looked around, confused. "Shit" he deadpanned. The other was wearing a red version of the uniform, and had the highest available rank pinned on at the neck.

"Tut, tut, dear Data, I didn't know you had such a foul mouth. Shame on you! In front of the ladies, at that!" admonished Q.

"What do you want this time, Q?" Janeway asked tiredly. She was looking at Q with disdain, Q shot her a look right back.

"Oh, it's not me this time. The Continuum said I could temporarily provide a link to your former home. You know, for goodbye letters and such. You should thank me for trying to help you out like this." Q looked genuinely offended.

"Well, if it isn't the indefatigable Q I've heard so much about." Ajax drawled.

Q whirled around.

"Ajax, right?" at his nod, Q continued "Well, I'd advise you to mind you manners, or else…" he snapped his fingers, and Amaranth disappeared. The temperature in the room dropped to about zero degrees, from the cold stares alone. A moment later, Q snapped his fingers again, and Amaranth reappeared draped over Ajax's shoulders, hissing and smoke billowing from her small nostrils. "As I said, be careful."

Ajax pointedly glared at the canvas, and if looks could kill, the tent would be in flames already.

"Now, I must be going, but I'll be back for dear Mr. Data in a couple days." Q snapped his fingers, and was gone, just like that.

"I take it Q isn't exactly your favorite person?" Nasuada ventured.

"The less said about him, the better. He's been settling down some, but he's still a little high on his near omnipotence. He can do anything he pleases, and get away with it, unless another Q interferes." the captain explained.

"So, he's the one to not get unhappy."

"Yeah."

Q popped back in. "I just realized something." Everyone in the room cowered mentally. Q turned and pointed at the Flock with curious eyes. "Those people are quite different." he stared at the Flock.

"Ange? Now would be a good time to tell me anything you've found." Max muttered.

"What was that?" Q mock asked "Oh, you were asking your telepath to tell you all about me. Problem is," here he pouted. "She doesn't know anything about me. Don't worry. I'm only interested in you. I'm not going to experiment on you, or kill you." Q was attempting to put them at ease, but it failed miserably. In fact, his attempts seemed to only anger them. Especially Max.

"I don't think I like your attitude," Max snarled.

"So touchy. I could change that you know. Or anything, for that matter. Tell you what." He pretended to think for a moment "Here's a gift for you all." He held his hands together, palms up, and blew across them towards the Flock.

The Flock flinched, but held their ground. Iggy nervously popped his knuckles, and the Gasman farted long and loud. "What is wrong with him?" Q asked. His olfactory senses had picked up the noxious gas almost at once. "I didn't think it was possible for any living sentient being to produce such a noxious gas."

"Then why aren't you affected?" Max asked.

"I'm immortal. I don't have the issues you have." came the snobbish reply. "But that, that _gas_ still affects me."

Behind the desk, Nasuada's protection charm once again activated. This time, it did not protect against noise, but against the terrible smell that had emanated from the Gasman. Beside her, Eragon didn't even have time to prepare wards before he passed out cold from the smell. Arya regarded him, then her nose found the odor, and she passed out too. As it turned out nearly everyone in the tent dropped. By the time it was over, only Q, the Flock, the Doctor, Nasuada, the Urgals, and the dragons were still conscious.

"A solid eleven." Iggy muttered to Gazzy who grinned sheepishly and gave him a high five.

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Two or three chapters? No way, Amaranth would find a way to come through the computer screen, and the only way I would survive is by telling her that I am the only one that could write her Rider back to life. As for the strong drink, a Gibb's Slap would do just as well, right?_

_Nine Kings: A more tech approach? Clarify, please. As for the leaving everything not Stargate or IC out of the picture, I have trouble trying to keep a pure crossover. I am glad you liked it, though._

_That's all for this time, read, and…don't drive drunk!_

_(There, got some good advise out there)_


	19. Q's visit results

_A/N: Is there anything I'm supposed to say up here, or am I just babbling on? Seriously, I need to know, in case I'm not doing it right._

"So…what did he do?" Max asked at last. She had her hands on her hips and was looking at Q expectingly.

"A gesture by a Q is never meaningless." came the snobbish reply. "Haven't you anything you desire above all else, a dream that drives you to continue with life?"

Nudge, momentarily forgetting herself replied to that one. "I want to be a fashion model!"

Q maturely bit back some remark about the subject, and responded. "Well then, there you go."

Max face-palmed. A moment later, Gaz and Ig also face-palmed when they came to the same conclusion that Max had arrived at.

Q feigned being clueless. "What?"

"I really, really, really don't want to be a fashion model." Gazzy said. "The idea is bad enough to give me gas."

At that, the entire Flock except Gazzy wore a look of horror.

"You already have gas." Q stated, not quite understanding.

"No, what he's got right now is a meadow breeze compared to when he has gas. It's lethal to any living thing." Max replied, hoping Q would forestall such a grievous event.

Even Q paled slightly. "I didn't mean that you all got the same thing. You all got the same gift from me, but it will manifest itself differently in all of you."

The Flock heaved varying sighs of relief. Iggy and Gazzy gave small fist bumps while Nudge and Angel did little dances of excitement. Fang and Max held similar expressions of caution.

"Now, I must be off, but as I said before I came back, I'll be back in three days to collect the android. Ta-at" He made a mock bow to Kathryn, and snapped his fingers before disappearing in a flash.

"Well, that was interesting." Max said, grateful to have the extremely powerful being gone for the time being.

Beside her, Nudge suddenly drew a sharp breath.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Max asked.

"My wings, it's like they're being absorbed into my back! It doesn't hurt though."

Max ran her hands down Nudge's back, and found that her wings had just about completely vanished, as if they had never been there. "Q must have done this." She said, straightening up, a look of barely disguised horror on her face. Her eyes betrayed her though. They were wide and in their brown depths her fear was evident though only to Fang who had also come over and gently patted Nudge's back. He was better at hiding his reaction, however.

Marching over to the holographic Doctor that had come with the _Voyager _crew, Max asked for the scanner device.

"Do you know how to use a medical tricorder?" he asked.

"Ahh, yes?" Max replied, hoping to have the right answer.

"Right. What are you looking for?"

"I want to see exactly what has happened to Nudge." Max said firmly.

The Doctor nodded sharply, and walked over to Nudge, where he knelt so as to attempt to soothe the girl. "Don't worry, I'm a doctor, I can help you." He said, attempting to calm the frightened bird kid.

The response was not what he was expecting. Instead of calming her down, the Doctor had somehow managed to get her all the more worked up.

"Then you're a whitecoat?" she sobbed, her terrified eyes searching out Max and the others in the small crowd.

The Doctor had no suitable reply for this, and turned to one of the boys standing nearby. "What is a whitecoat?" he asked, confusion evident on his face.

Fang chose to answer him after a long moment of silence. "We refer to the scientists that experimented on us and tortured us as whitecoats." Fang's voice was ice cold and his dark eyes flashed.

The Doctor's face showed his horror before he got a lid on it. "Some privacy if you please." the Doctor called to the others standing in the tent. Turning to Nudge, he said "I've been programmed with the Hippocratic Oath. It is as if I have taken the Oath. Now, because of that Oath, the following applies. I will apply dietic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.

"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

"Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.

What I may see or hear in the course of treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about.

If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot."

The hologram paused as if out of digitized breath for a moment. "Do you understand?"

Nudge nodded, a lone hiccup now and again being the only reminder that she had been crying. The Doctor pulled out his medical tricorder, and after keying in several commands, swept the blinking red cylinder over Nudge. After the scan was completed, the Doctor showed Nudge the results.

"Apparently, Q didn't alter your genetic makeup, just caused you to absorb you wings somehow or another. If I was in Sickbay, I could use the computer to try and figure this out, but as it is…I'll just have to wait. Just so you know, what ever you choose to tell me falls into the doctor/patient confidentiality category unless you say otherwise." The Doctor the stood up, and walked over to Max. "She is in stable condition, just without the wings."

"What did you tell her that got her to calm down?" Max queried, glancing over at Nudge who was now surrounded by the Flock.

"I told her that I had sworn the Hippocratic Oath, and I then told her the contents of the Oath, with exception to the part about the teaching of others." he replied. He then walked back to his position with the bridge staff of _Voyager_.

While that miniature crisis was being dealt with, the meeting among the leaders had been concluded, and the various members were leaving.

Ajax walked over to Tom Paris, who was among the last to leave the tent. "Your craft is on autopilot, right? To chase after my Jumper?" At the affirmative nod, Ajax continued on. "You were about to just call the shuttle and beam out, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Could you take me with? I need to retrieve 'Lady' Wier's Jumper." Ajax held up air quotes around the 'Lady' part.

"Sure." Paris hit his communicator badge. "Paris to the _Delta Flyer_. Seven to beam out."

Lines of quantum mist appeared briefly, taking the six Voyager members and Ajax with it when it vanished again. Amaranth suddenly found that she couldn't find her Rider's mind, and being relatively certain that he would come back, she opted to curl up on Max's shoulders.

The Flock laughed at this sight, a baby dragon curled up on their leader's shoulders. Max frowned for a moment before seeing Nudge smiling and wiping away her tears Max grinned and gently stroked her hand over Amaranth's snout. Amaranth purred slightly and Gazzy joked, "What is she? A cat?"

"I thought birds and cats didn't mix?" Iggy joked.

The Flock grinned as Max made a face and stroked Amaranth's green scales once more. "Green might be your color Max," Nudge joked. The Flock laughed as Amaranth purred. Together they headed out of the tent.

_Delta Flyer:_

The quantum mist dropped off the seven persons it had taken, and Ajax turned around as soon as he was able, and shook Tom's hand. 'Thanks for the lift." Ajax then found the door, and exited, taking the Jumper that Sheppard had flown not long ago. Ajax left the cloak off, and guided the Jumper to the front of the tent. Saphira, hearing the whine, slowly pulled her head out of the tent to see what it was, then informed the occupants of the tent that a strange metal round thing was slowing down and dropping to a point directly in front of the tent. Ajax opened the door, and morphed into a T-38, winging his way back to the landing point of his Jumper.

_Nasuada's tent:_

Amaranth, realizing that her partner had not abandoned her, began to purr rather loudly alerting everyone in the tent to her Rider's return.

Ajax returned shortly with his Jumper, and walked back into the tent. Walking over to Eragon, Ajax said "If you want, you can come with me to Atlantis. I have a Jumper with enough room for your elven guard, if that helps any."

Eragon walked over to Nasuada, and a whispered conversation seemed to transpire.

"We'll come." Eragon said. "I am quite interested to see this city of yours. Of course, you'll have to keep pace with Saphira."

"Sure." Ajax replied easily. "Right this way."

Eragon's guard filed into the Jumper, but Eragon chose to ride with Saphira. The other Jumper had already departed, and the Flock decided to ride in the back for the trip back, mainly out of pity for Nudge. Ajax noticed that she seemed to have partially recovered from the shock of her missing wings and wondered at this. But as Amaranth leapt onto his shoulders from Max's (he grinned at the look on Max's face and knew that she had finally gotten over her aversion to dragons) and curled up purring he decided to leave it where it be. No sense in bringing up what was already settled. He was bound to find out eventually.

"Attention: All bodily parts are to remain within the vehicle until it has come to a full and complete stop, there are no bathrooms available on this aircraft, and refreshments will not be served as this is just a short thirty minute flight from the mainland to Atlantis. The door will remain open for the duration of this flight, and should any person with wings decide they wish to fly, they may. Thank you for choosing Rider's Air, and enjoy your flight."

Ajax made the static sound that might be heard over a radio, and then settled down to the business of flying. Amaranth had left his shoulder in favor of the dashboard of the Jumper, and accidentally pressed one of the buttons as she positioned herself. Ajax smiled as he imagined what was probably going on in the Gate Room. The lights were dimming somewhat because of how the fact that it was getting dark outside.

As it turned out, Saphira had more power than was first anticipated, and the midnight blue dragon plus her Rider ended up reaching Atlantis with Ajax's Jumper ahead of Dr. Wier's Jumper. As the Jumper approached, the lights began slowly to brighten, and the door at the center tower opened. A ring of lights that had never been noticed before activated around the opening, and the Jumper bay lights came on as well. At this point, the Jumper's lights had come to full strength, and Ajax skillfully maneuvered the Jumper into the bay. A few seconds later, the other Jumper descended into the bay, and the door opened.

_Meh, kind of a bleh chapter. Oh well, Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Yes, a Gibb's Slap is better for now, after all, if Ajax is just over 18, he's not legal to drink alcohol. Ajax isn't about to run from his dragon, she'll only find him and make it worse for him. Besides, Amaranth wouldn't allow herself to descend to the level of blind rage. Yes it is that easy. There's still the extermination of the Wraith, who are busy infighting due to the 'not enough food/ too many hands to feed' issue. Also, there's the Puppet Master._

_Thanks to Avenging Angels. Without her, this story would be less than it is._


	20. Angel and the gift of Q

_I have no clue what I'm doing anymore, but-_

_THE SHOW MUST GO ON!_

_Yes, I already knew that. Now to your previously not really scheduled entertainment._

After every one had disembarked from the Jumpers, Ajax closed the bay doors with a flick of his mind towards the Lantean controls. A thought occurred to him, and with a grin, he opened the door that led from the bay to the Gate Room. Amaranth had gotten off of the dashboard, and was back on Ajax's shoulders, but when she figured out what her Rider was up to, she launched herself off of her Rider, aiming for the large hole in the floor. Ajax suppressed a grin, then with a running jump, followed his mischievous dragon.

"Geronimo…OW!" The occupants of the Jumper bay heard a thud as Ajax hit the floor below, probably a little quicker than he intended to.

Fang snorted. "Amateur." he said. Max was unable to suppress the grin, and nearly burst out laughing as Fang uttered his one word judgment. Angel decided that she would try it, and Iggy casually shoved Gazzy down the hole. And though Gazzy landed on his feet beside his sister Max glared at Iggy with fierce brown eyes.

Iggy, being smarter than your average mutant, decided to go rather than deal with the wrath of Max.

_Four hours later, in Max's quarters:_

"So, this Q guy gave us this gift, and it manifests itself differently in all of us, and it's related to the thing we want most. So…now I'm afraid to ask, but what do we personally want most?" Max asked. She wasn't truly afraid, but she was concerned.

"Well, Iggy and I were going to go into special effects. I was going to be doing the pyrotechnics, you know, the bombs, fires, all that stuff." Gazzy said. He looked around nervously as if suddenly, something was going to happen.

"I was going to specialize in green screen stuff." Iggy said. "And probably help Gaz with his bombs from time to time." His blue eyes darted about the room, trying to pinpoint any possible threats.

"Angel? What was it you were going to do?" The little blonde haired girl turned halfway towards Max but wouldn't meet her gaze. "Ever since I've been here on Atlantis, I've wanted to play a bigger part in it. I wanted to be part of Atlantis."

"Do you still want that?" Max asked softly, her brown eyes held none of the fierceness they had only a little while ago towards Iggy. Now they were soft and gentle. Her gaze gave off a feeling of warmth like a mother looking at her child. For Max, that was halfway true.

Angel licked her lips and still wouldn't meet Max's eyes or the others for that matter. She gave no response.

"Ange, you're not going to get into trouble, no matter what you say. Come on, just tell me." Max coaxed, leaning forward and smiling gently.

"Y-yes." Angel muttered.

"Thanks sweetie." Max said quietly. She knew she shouldn't push Angel. Usually she was beaming with excitement even though she could be cryptic at times. But that was just Angel.

One by one, the various members of the Flock exited 'til only Fang and Max were left alone.

"I never did hear what you wanted most." Max noted, glancing at him as Gazzy left last.. She had a hunch, but wanted to make sure.

"You first." Fang said, expressionless as ever.

Max pursed her lips and she sighed. Her eyes seemed to look far away as she put her hands under her chin in fists on her knees and stared at the ceiling. "My dream has been to be somewhere-anywhere with the whole Flock, where we are all safe, and we don't have to worry about anything ever again. Idealistic, I know, but still. That's my dream." She looked back down at Fang who's face hadn't changed. His eyes sparked slightly. With a short nod towards Fang, Max continued. "What's yours?"

Fang very carefully considered her words. "All I've ever wanted…is you."

_Nine thirty, local time, Unexplored section of the South Tower:_

The Flock had been exploring the city, and shortly after they began, the city began to play a game with them. It would only open one door, and close all the others. If the doors were normally open, they would open again after the Flock had gone through the door that Atlantis wanted them to go through. After about half an hour in this fashion, they came across a lab.

It had once been flooded, but was dry at this point, and everything was still in working order. As it was the only door that had opened, the group had gone through it, with some caution. The door slid closed behind them. As they walked around, Angel noticed an unusual looking alcove set into the wall. It wasn't like the Borg alcove she had seen on Voyager, and it wasn't like the stasis chambers she had seen elsewhere in the city. The roof of the alcove was out of sight, and she stepped inside so as to get a better view.

Suddenly, lights embedded in the round wall of the alcove lit up, bathing Angel in royal blue light and turing her hair silver. A door slid closed before she could do anything, but she managed to scream out before it sealed. "MAX!"

Everyone's heads instantly snapped to the source. It was too late, though, the door had sealed Angel inside the alcove. Doors previously hidden in the wall outside the alcove slid closed around the frosted glass door, leaving a single round hole about the size of a fist. The glass slid back, and Max peered through the hole.

"Max, help me!" Angel cried.

"I don't know what to do, sweetie! If I do anything with those old computers, who knows what will happen!"

Angel's voice trembled and her blur yes were wide."I'm afraid!"

"Look, we'll find a way-" whatever Max said was drowned out by an inordinately powerful motor of some sort spinning up. The lights inside the alcove began circling around, as if an entire bar of royal blue light was spinning around on the wall. The light circled faster and faster, and Angel screamed, though Max couldn't hear it. She could see her mouth open though and in her mind heard the scream. It was loud and clear, as if Angel her self were sending it into her mind. Behind her the Flock winced and grabbed at their ears uselessly. Iggy's eyes were scrunched in pain, his still overly sensitive ears amplifying the scream to the point of physical pain.

As Max stood outside the alcove, banging on the glass as hard as she could, the other members of the Flock mobilized and, with their ears still covered, looked around for something to stop whatever was happening to Angel. Iggy noticed that the door crystals had gone dark, and knew that the doors were locked.

The speed of rotation had built up to the point that Max was unable to see Angel through the light. "Angel…"she said, broken.

The machine wound down, and the lights shut off. The doors unlocked again. The Flock reached a silent consensus, and chose not to leave. As soon as the entire machine had shut down, the doors opened again to reveal…nothing. The chamber was empty.

Max slumped to the floor, and a soundless wail escaped her. Despite the occasional power grab that Angel kept trying to stage, Angel was her baby. Fang moved to comfort her, but Max wasn't to be comforted. It was so unfair! First, Nudge had lost her wings, just because she wanted to be a model, and now Angel had been taken away from her. The door to the lab groaned open, and Dr. McKay bustled in with Dr. Zelenka in tow. Ajax, as the best reader of the Lantean language, followed them in a few seconds later. McKay powered up the computers, and began looking through the database, or trying to figure out what had happened.

Ajax walked over to Max, who was curled up on the floor. "Max, McKay is THE expert on Lantean technology. If there's a book around on this stuff, McKay would have written it. We're going to figure out what happened and fix it, but I need you to tell Dr. McKay exactly what happened before we detected the power spike."

Max slowly, wearily picked herself up off of the floor, her face scribed with the pain of her loss.

"So…what exactly happened here?" McKay asked. "Because there was a massive power drain here not that long ago, and…where's Angel?"

Max gestured mutely at the alcove. Iggy stepped up, putting his hand on Max's left shoulder because Fang's hand occupied the other, and began to fill in the blanks on what happened. Nudge and Gazzy, who both looked grief stricken, crowded around the other bird kids.

"We had been exploring, and as we walked, all the doors would close, except for one. Eventually, we ended up here. We had been exploring the room, being careful not to touch anything, and Angel went over to that alcove. As far as I can figure, she stepped inside to look up at the ceiling. A frosted glass door closed, I'm guessing to keep her inside, and then two quarter-round doors closed over the alcove."

Max then gathered enough emotional strength to finish the story. She put her hands gently on Nudge and Gazzy's shoulders. Gazzy was sniffling and trying his hardest not to cry.

"The glass door slid open again, and there was this bar of royal blue light that ran from top to bottom. I tried to force the doors open, 'cause there was this round hole in it about the size of my fist. I couldn't get it open, and we don't know how to work those age old computers. Anyway, the bar of light began to move, spinning around the wall of the alcove. It went faster and faster, after a few moments, it was going fast enough that I couldn't see past the light. After a minute, the thing shut down, and the doors opened. Iggy told me that the doors were locked while the machine was running." Max gave a sigh.

"I hope that helps some. Just…just get her back for me." Her face twisted, and she began crying again. Fang moved to Max's side, and began guiding her back to her quarters. The rest of the Flock were also shocked by what had happened and watched her go with sad eyes.

Ajax was manipulating the computer almost as fast as Nudge could hack into a standard computer.

"Well, this is interesting." he announced suddenly.

"What? What is it?" McKay was all business at the word 'interesting'.

"It would seem that this lab belonged to a Lantean named Janus. Does that name strike any bells? Anyway, that alcove had been part of a project he refers to as the 'Joiner Project'. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that is, but…" Ajax trailed off as he worked. "Aha! Here we go. Janus was trying to find a way to cheat death, but he didn't want to ascend. He was trying to create a way to merge with Atlantis's AI."

McKay's mouth flopped open, and Radek kept working, not wanting to irritate his boss. In the end, Nudge figured it out, and said it almost simultaneously.

"You mean…Angel is in Atlantis?"

"More like Angel is with Atlantis. According to this, there are two intelligences in the mainframe. That one" he pointed with the eraser end of a pencil, "is Angel, and the other is Atlantis."

At that moment, the display chose to show streams running from one to the other, and vice versa.

"Get Max." Ajax commanded. "She has to see this."

Gazzy took off, and Ajax brought up the second display, working the crystals on the computer for all they were worth.

"McKay, what's this?"

McKay took a look at what Ajax was indicating. "That looks like…no, it couldn't be. It looks like Atlantis is downloading into Angel, and creating a backup of Angel in the mainframe. The coding for this is…incredibly complex."

"Tell me about it. I need the equivalent of picture books when it comes to binary coding."

Max walked in with Fang and Gazzy trailing behind her. "What do I need to see?" Max commanded.

"This." Ajax said, pointing at the first screen.

"That blob there is Angel, the other one's Atlantis."

"You mean…She's alive?"

"Yeah, we just have to get her out. Atlantis is being very hospitable, and we're not under any kind of attack, so I think that there's no danger to Angel right now."

"Right now, Atlantis is downloading something to Angel, and it's very complex. I found the removal protocols, but I can't do this on my own, both computers have to key in at just the right time; so can you please stop talking and help me with this!" McKay said irritably.

"Yeah. Tell me exactly what you need done, I'll do it." Suddenly, various crystals started to light up, then the doors closed and locked. The alcove closed and the blue light began flashing through the circular view port. The whine of the huge motor could be heard again, and conversation became impossible.

Max gestured for Ajax to initiate mental contact.

"Is someone in there?" Max asked, frantic. She pressed her hand against the glass and the bright blue light shone through dimly. The glass was cold and stung her fingers and palm. She leaned closer.

"No. It was empty. I think there was an automated program in place for someone who's genetic makeup resembled Janus closely enough." Ajax retreated from Max's mind and she glanced back at him for a moment.

Once again, the light was spinning fast enough that nothing could be seen inside it. The device wound down again, and the doors unlocked. The doors to the alcove parted to reveal Angel standing inside. Her eyes opened, and she registered where she was and who was there before she passed out from the shock that the

transfer had imposed on her body.

_Answers to Readers:_

_Nobody left a review, so I have no answers for no questions._

_Thanks to my beta, who has been working to make this fic better than it was…[drum roll here] Avenging Angels!_

_Yo, Avenging Angels here! So, usually I don't leave a comment. I'm like the editor of a film or the camera guy. But I figured just the once I'd leave my own comment. So, just gotta say thanks to Hideout Writer for listening to my suggestions and being so open about the little tweaks I make. In all reality what you see is what you get. I add in a few things but really he does all the work. I just fix a few errors, add descriptions and some of the more emotional interactions between characters. So, thanks to those of you who review. It means a lot to us especially Hideout Writer. He works hard to make this story great and I help with whatever I can._

_Fly on,_

_Avenging Angels_


	21. Gifts discovered

_A/N: It just keeps going, and going, and going, and …you get the point._

Even though there was no real way around it, and Max more (or less) trusted Dr. Beckett, she still didn't like helping to do what she was doing. The members of the Flock that were still awake helped Dr. Beckett by rotating the mattress on Angel's bed, so that the head was at the foot. Dr. Beckett had some sort of brainwave scanner, and after some fiddling around with the equipment, had it set up to a wireless link-up. After everything was set up, Max carefully carried Angel to her quarters and laid her down, rolling the scanner cart into position when she was done. It began reading, and Max left after brushing a stray strand of hair out of Angel's face. Her brown eyes were no longer filled with tears but clouded with worry. And as she walked out of the room Fang came up beside her, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders.

"Angel will be okay." He said, looking down at Max. His voice was soft and he squeezed her slightly as she nodded absently. Her mind was filled with the horrible image of Angel's face as she screamed and disappeared behind the whirling lights. Her eyes had been full of terror as she shouted Max's name. The fact that Max hadn't been able to rescue her only made her feel sick with herself.

Fang sensed this and took her face carefully in his hands. "Max, look." Max glanced at him and he said, "It's. Not. Your. Fault."

_Sickbay:_

Max and Fang were down in sickbay, waiting for Dr. Beckett in a tense silence. A moment later, Dr. Beckett bustled down an adjacent hallway. When he saw the lead members of the Flock, he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Well, come on in, I have something important to show ye." He said kindly, waving his arm forward. Max and Fang followed, finally stopping in front of a TV that showed several different lines, a bird's eye view of the brain with red spots in various places, and a large 81.

"Her synaptic activity is quite high. Higher than normal, actually. The only time I've seen a number this high in relation to synaptic activity was when Rodney got hit by the Ascension Accelerator. In his case, the synaptic activity of his brain continued to increase until it nearly killed him. Basically, his brain was over thinking everything, and certain lower processes such as heart, liver, breathing, all that stuff that we do without thinking about it, well for him, his brain couldn't handle it. As far as I can remember, he invented a new type of math, redesigned the shielding systems for the Daedalus, came up with several performance upgrades for computers, and his mental abilities went through the roof. The only thing that didn't change was his ego. It just felt like his ego went down because everything else was ramping up." Dr. Beckett paused, concerned. "Are ye understanding what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. How far did he go before the lower processes started shutting down?" Max asked.

"He continued without medical assistance until his synaptic activity reached 96 percent. After Angel wakes up, I want to perform a synaptic scan once a day to monitor the level. I think that things may be different, but I just don't know enough about Ancient systems to tell." He laughed briefly. "The only piece of Lantean tech I'm comfortable operating is the scanner."

Max and Fang nodded and glanced at each other for a moment. As if a silent conversation had happened both Max and Fang looked back at the doctor with determined eyes. They seemed to have come to some sort of conclusion. Max walked out.

"Thanks for the info Doc." Fang said. He then followed Max out, leaving Dr. Beckett to his thoughts.

_The next morning, Angel's quarters:_

Max was on watch over Angel when the sun began streaming through the stained glass windows in her quarters. A moment later, Angel stirred. When she opened her eyes, she saw Max sitting nearby.

"Max? Am I in trouble?" she asked, wide eyed with memory.

Max kicked the question around for a bit. Finally she shook her head. "I don't think so, sweetie. You're not in trouble with me, but there could be things happening in your brain that…that could kill you if we can't reverse it."

Angel nodded as if it all made perfect sense. Max wished she didn't have to be so frank with Angel. She was seven years old for Christ's sake! But Angel was no ordinary seven year old. No where near it….

"But, now that you're up, we can take that scanner back to Dr. Beckett, and see what he has to say about this whole thing." Max said encouragingly.

"I'm hungry. Can we eat first?" Angel asked.

Max smiled at the look on Angel's face. "Sure kiddo. C'mon, we'll get the rest of the Flock, then we'll eat. Promise."

The Flock congregated in one of the many mess halls in Atlantis, and sat down together with trays of food.

"So." Angel started. She'd already been reintroduced to an overly excited Flock with hugs and yells and jumping. "Anything unusual happen last night? I mean, besides what happened to me."

Max hadn't noticed anything, but Nudge noted that she found she had a good hand for sketching, and there was a sort of fashion studio in her room.

"…and so I was sketching this dress I had this great idea for, and then when I finished, I noticed that it was hanging off of the mannequin, and it was in my size, and everything! I mean, this is great and all, but the only thing I miss is my wings. Maybe I'm able to like absorb them and then regrow them later? That would be cool, cause then I could be a supermodel, and not have to worry about my wings, and then I could go flying after a fashion shoot, oh, mmmph!"

"Thanks, Ig."

"No problem. Speaking of things unusual, I found six towers and a laptop in my room this morning."

"Towers?" Max asked, unsure what he was talking about. She put down her fork full of spaghetti. It wasn't her favorite. But it was food and went a long way towards 3,000 calories.

"Yeah, you know, the bulky computers that we can't haul around cause they're so heavy? I have six of those, and a laptop with two secondary screens. Basically, I have all the power I need to do the green screen stuff that Le Gasman and I have been talking about."

Gazzy then told his part.

"I found a nice laptop in my room this morning, and lots of parts. You know, the good kind." Iggy stifled a snicker at the way Gazzy said ' the good kind'. Max glared at Iggy and sensing her gaze he raised his hands defensively.

"Basically, I've got bomb parts and flamethrower parts, and flame jet parts, and everything I could ever need to do my pyrotechnic stuff." Gazzy finished.

Fang hadn't noticed anything, or if he did, he chose not to speak up about it. Max also had not noticed anything, but Angel noticed several things.

"You guys are together." she stated. "As in, all the way together. I can feel everyone's minds, and I'm even hungrier than I normally am. Also," here she paused, and gestured at her cup, which flew across the mess hall to the water cooler. The cold tap opened, and the cup was filled. After a moment, the glass flew back to Angel's hand. "I seem to be telekinetic. I can hear Atlantis, and one more thing. I found this in my pocket." She fished out a simple chain with eight Lantean characters on it. She laid it down on the table.

Nudge picked it up, the only one not completely baffled by Angel's words, and examined it closely. "It's pretty, but…" she trailed off at a look from Max.

"Well, I'm going to wear it." Angel stated. Her voice indicated that she would not be argued with, and a moment later, the necklace shot out of Nudge's hand, and hung itself around Angel's neck. The eight characters glowed as soon as it was secured around her neck.

"Angel, it's glowing." Gazzy said nervously, pointing a small finger at his sister's neck.

"I know." She said sweetly. "The letters are 'A, t, l, a, n, t, i, s.' Atlantis!"

At the proclamation of the city's name, the metal glowed even more brightly. Suddenly, the entire necklace sank into her, and the skin sealed over on top of it.

Angel flinched, and despite all the warnings she had heard she read the various minds of the Flock who were now gaping at her.

"I- I think I should go see Dr. Beckett now."

Without another word, she turned and dashed down the hallway, doors opening well before her.

_Sickbay:_

Dr. Beckett had just finished breakfast with a patient who was rather depressed from being alone. He was washing his hands when he heard the groaning swoosh of a door opening, and the footfalls of someone running towards the Sickbay. He looked just in time to see Angel enter, the synaptic scanner cart trailing as if on an invisible leash.

"What can I do for you, luv? I see ye brought the scanner back with ye."

"I need a full scan, and you can do your brain scan thing too." She said. Angel wasn't even breathing hard from running up seventeen floors, nonstop.

"Okay…," he keyed in the commands. "What brings you here in such a hurry?"

"I found a necklace in my pocket this morning when I woke up. It was probably there the whole time after the thing in that lab. It had 'Atlantis' spelled out in Ancient, and I could read it. Carson, I've never even seen Ancient before!"

"That's not the only thing." he probed. He was a bit surprised by her use of his first name, mainly because he didn't recall telling her. Then again, someone else might have told her.

"So, I pulled it out of my pocket while I was eating with my family, and then I decided I was going to wear it after I figured out what it said. It actually took me a moment before I figured it out, but now, wherever I see Ancient, I can read it as fast as I see it. After I put it on, it kind of glowed a little, and when my mind put together the letters, and I realized, I blurted the city's name out loud. At that, it glowed really brightly, and then it sunk into my skin, and then my skin sealed over it. I can't even feel it anymore." The doctor frowned as he glanced at the scanner. He looked back down at Angel and shook his head. "Well, I'm not showing anything here. Maybe it dissolved?"

Eragon, floating location:

Eragon had been assigned temporary quarters, and had rested well last night. This city was quite impressive. Just by wanting the lights to be brighter or dimmer, it would happen. He performed his morning toilet, and walked out of his room. There had been a disturbance earlier, but he hadn't felt like investigating. He felt sorry for Saphira. She was too big to fit within the general areas of the city, and so had ended up just staying outside. To make up for it, he had allowed Saphira to merge with him, allowing her to experience Atlantis the way he was.

_"I want to see the city." _She said without warning. _"Now." _Her voice held a slight growl on the 'no'. Eragon grinned, he was used to her feisty temper.

_"Fine, let me get ready. I need to get something to eat, anyway."_

_"Fine, but don't take too long, we don't have forever here."_

Next door, the familiar groaning swoosh sound was heard as the door was opened. A moment later, Eragon's door chime sounded. Eragon swiped the control, and the door opened. Outside stood Ajax, with Amaranth draped over his shoulders.

"Hi. I wanted to drop by and say that I'm sorry for abandoning you like I did last night. Can I come in?" Eragon saw no point in saying no. "Fine, but I'm about to go find some food, wherever that is."

"Well, then I'll just go with you. I know where the mess hall is, and I can guide you there." Ajax was only too cheerful. Amaranth, sensing her Rider's contentment, purred as Eragon reached up and stroked her throat.

_"This Rider knows how to treat a dragon!" _Eragon grinned at Ajax who rolled his eyes.

"So…I know I'm going to regret this, but…what was the emergency you were called away for last night?"

"Y- uh…I'm not exactly clear on all the details up to now, but apparently, the Flock, you know, the children with wings? They were exploring the city, and it seems Atlantis had a lab that housed the 'Joiner Project'. There was this alcove, just large enough for one person to stand comfortably in. Angel had stepped inside, to lookup at the ceiling there, or some such, and the doors closed behind her, sealing her inside the alcove. The machinery in that lab vaporized Angel, and it was about half an hour before the machinery returned Angel just the way it had taken her. I had been called in because I'm fluent in the Ancient Language."

Eragon's curiosity rose considerably at that. "Really? Then what's the word for fire?"

Ajax mentally ran through all the words available, before picking out the Lantean term for fire, and saying it out loud.

Eragon laughed and shook his head. "Ah…whatever that was…no. The true name for fire is brisingr." At his word, the sword on his hip burst into flames.

Ajax cast an amused glance at the sword who's thermal signature had changed so drastically. Eragon followed his gaze.

"Oh. I'm still in the habit of using the true name for all fire, and I named my sword Brisingr." At this, the scabbard wreathed itself in flames, and the hilt flared. The odd part was that there was no damage to the sword, scabbard, clothing, or Eragon himself.

_"What won't they come up with next?" _Ajax muttered. _"Fire that doesn't burn!"_

Amaranth snaked her head around her Rider's face to better see the sword. Then, in full view of Eragon, she parted her jaws in the distinctive dragon laugh.

"And just why is your dragon laughing at me?" Eragon asked, slightly offended. In his mind, he heard Saphira laughing as well.

"I've educated Amaranth in the things of my world, and she already knows much about this world. I had said to her, 'What won't they come up with next? Fire that doesn't burn!'" At this, even Eragon had to admit the humor of the situation.

He doused his sword's otherworldly flames, and then said "Well, I'm still interested in food. So I ask again, where's the food?"

"Right this way." As Ajax took the lead, Amaranth looked back at Eragon and grinned before launching herself off of her Rider's shoulders, flying towards Eragon before reversing course, and taking one of the side halls.

"Where's she going?" Eragon asked.

"Outside. I don't think you want to know her exact words on the subject."

"Why? I can handle it."

"She said that she wanted to personally meet the dragon that's been graciously putting up with you. She's a cheeky one, alright. I'll have my hands full with her later, when she's big enough that I'm riding her, not the other way around." As Ajax talked, he walked into the mess hall. "Welcome to the South mess hall, time: breakfast Alpha shift." Ajax picked up a tray, a plate and a set of silverware. Behind him, Eragon mimicked him, attempting to blend in. Ajax looked over the selections, and loaded up on scrambled eggs with ham and onions. He then grabbed a serving of potatoes, and walked away from the buffet.

A moment later, Eragon walked over to the table where Ajax was sitting. "There's so much! What should I get?"

"Whatever your wee little heart desires." Ajax said, setting down the tray.

Eragon decided not to press the issue about the 'wee little heart' and eventually filled a plate with food. Ajax had returned to the buffet line, but instead of getting anything to eat, he snatched a cup off the end, and filled it from a trash can designated 'Intergalactic Insect Slime'. Eragon did the same, though he murmured several lines from the ancient language before determining it to be safe.

"Hey, look." Ajax pointed at the door where four members from the delegation walked in. "It looks to me like Sheppard's team is still doing that rotating mess hall thing. Due to the sheer size of the city, we have five separate mess halls. We're here," Ajax jabbed at a map of the city that he had roughly sketched out on a napkin. "At the South Mess. There are also the North, East, and West Messes. And at the base of the central tower, is what we refer to as 'Mess Central' They are so busy that we actually have to book reservations to get in there anymore." As he talked, the team had already gotten their food and drink, and due to the fact that there were only four spaces left, walked over to Ajax and Eragon.

"Hey, can we join you?" Sheppard asked.

Ajax looked at Eragon as if to say, 'your call'.

"Yes." Eragon replied.

The team sat down, and Ronon sat right next to Eragon, who muttered several spells to protect his nose from the odor of Ronon's armor and clothing. He also noticed that Ronon was just eating with his hands instead of fiddling with the silverware like everyone else.

"So… you can do like magic and stuff, right?" Sheppard asked.

Eragon was somewhat amused. "Yes, it's kind of normal here. Let me show you. He unbuckled his sword, and laid it down on the table. Everyone, including Rodney, stopped eating to admire the weapon. Ronon saw the strength and feral beauty in it, while Teyla noted the grace. Sheppard just thought it looked cool, while Rodney's keen eyes picked out the glyph and several other 'technical' points about the sword.

Finally, he couldn't help himself. "What's the glyph on the scabbard mean?" he asked, ego momentarily forgotten.

Eragon's grin burst into a full blown smile. "Brisingr." he said. The sword once again took on it's mantle of spectral flames.

"Scratch cool." Sheppard said. "That's hot."

"Will the heat not damage the temper of the metal?" Teyla asked.

"No, when Runon forged the sword with me, special wards -magical shields- were cast over the sword as it was forged. There is no sword it's equal on the battlefield because it is a Rider's sword, and forged by an elf. It will not bend, break or shatter under the stresses of combat. The only way to break it would be to use inordinately powerful magic against it, and that might not even work, due to the fact that the sword is sharp enough to cut through magic."

"Why isn't it burning through the table?" Rodney wanted to know.

"Because I didn't want it to." Eragon replied. He was having fun with this.

"Brisingr-" the flame show on the sword intensified. "-is the true name of fire. As in, all fire. By having mastery over that one word, I have mastery over any kind of fire I should encounter." He stopped the flow of magic to the fire, and the flames wreathing the sword died away, lingering slightly on the glyph.

"Now, my question for you. Who is it that I hear in my head, and why is it that I can't seem to shut her out? And no, it's not my dragon."

"Well, what does it sound like?" Sheppard asked.

"SHE sounds peaceful, in control, content," his eyes flicked back and forth as he thought. "Happy, she likes you for some reason."

The team members exchanged glances, and Sheppard grinned. "That would be Atlantis that you're hearing."

"She's somewhat wary of me." Eragon's eyes shot open. "She just told me some of the things she's done for you." John's grin faltered. "Apparently, she waited until you went to room, then dropped you off of the sensor grid, blocked all incoming communications, played music, and locked your doors. Even Rodney couldn't get in. You slept for 16 hours straight." A grin tugged at Eragon's lips. "It is almost as if you are a Dragon Rider. My dragon is quite overly protective of me."

_"I heard that!" _came Saphira's voice. Eragon ignored her. Through her eyes he could see Amaranth zipping around in the air while she dodged Saphira's tail as she waved it lazily at the younger dragon.

"Yeah, she does things for me that she won't do for the others. The techies just chalk it up to the gene, but I personally think that she's alive."

_~Flashback~_

_"I'm thinking about a nice turkey sandwich right about now." He looked around, and Ford did the same. "Worth a try, sir." Ford said after a moment._

_~End Flashback~_

"Sheppard!" Rodney said, exasperated.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Rodney, I was just remembering when I went on my second off-world mission. We were taking a Jumper, and Ford was riding shotgun. We went through the 'gate', and I needed to know where to go next. The Heads-Up-Display popped up, and Ford asked me about it. I told him that I was just wondering where to go from there. I then wondered how I would find the people once I was inside, and the life-signs detector slid out on a vertical drawer. I wanted to test this phenomenon, and said, 'Now I'm thinking about a nice turkey sandwich right about now.' We both looked around, but we never saw any sandwich. After a few moments, Ford turned to me and said 'Worth a try, Sir.' He was a great guy 'til he got hopped up on that Wraith enzyme stuff."

"I never really got over the fact that he shot me!" Rodney put in snarkily.

"Well, you ticked him off!" Sheppard snarked back.

Eragon having finished with his meal, stood, and then waited for Ajax to show him what to do with his tray. Ajax dumped the scraps that were left, and ran his plate under the rinser. After Eragon repeated the process, Ajax turned to Eragon.

"Well, where to next?"

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I had to research that, and no, Angel is not a version of a 343 Guilty Spark. Angel is part of Atlantis, even though she free to walk around as she pleases. Yes, Q has a way of rubbing everyone wrong. His gifts are usually good intentioned, but…yeah, he tends to finds ways around things and usually his gifts end up being a curse. Once in a while though, his gifts are appreciated._


	22. Just another day at the office

"I'm starting to feel Atlantis." Angel said quietly. She looked up from where she sat on a metal table and stopped swinging her legs. Her hands were clasped in her lap and she rubbed her knuckles absentmindedly.

"You feel Atlantis? In what way?" Carson asked, startled.

"Well, like, I can feel her Star Drive, the hyper drive systems seem slightly out of whack, I can feel the ZPMs, everything that Atlantis feels, I can feel."

"Do you mind if I bring Rodney in here? I need him to see some of this stuff."

On the screen, there was what looked like a constant stream of particles running to and from Angel's body.

Rodney bustled in, his own computer ready for whatever it was that Dr. Beckett had for him. "Carson! Now, what was it that was so important that I had to be pulled out of my very important research for?" Rodney asked, proud as ever. His face was flushed from his brisk walk down the pristine halls and his hair was mussed up in a few odd places. He brushed his hand over it in an attempt to tame it then nodded for Carson to explain himself.

"Look." Carson said, pointing at the screen. Rodney peered closely and then glanced at Angel. His arrogant mask turned into a look that held both confusion and wonder. "Oh, man. What is that?" Rodney muttered, ego forgotten.

"I don't know, I saw it on the scan. I think Max should know."

"I'll call her." Angel said. Her face blanked for a moment, then "She's on her way."

"Carson, she's got some serious abilities. She heard what I was whispering, and she was able to call Max from wherever she is. Even I don't remember being able to do that." Rodney's voice held a slight edge of envy.

Carson smiled. "Ye never tried, Rodney." he said, patting Rodney's arm.

The door groaned open, then closed again. Max walked over to Angel and the two seemed to communicate something mentally. Max gave Angel a reassuring smile. Angel smiled back, but it was half-hearted.

"Now." Max said, turning to Dr. Beckett. "What did Angel call me up here to see?"

"This." Carson said, pointing at the screen.

"What in the world?" Max asked, mystified by the particulates on the screen. She didn't exactly get what it meant but from the anxious looks on both Rodney and Carson's faces she knew what she was seeing wasn't natural. Then again, she was used to that.

Rodney, who had been studying the screen intently, looked around for several moments, then found what he was looking for. Picking up an old style radio, he turned it on, then, slowly moved the tuning dial from the low end of the spectrum to the high end. Picking up nothing, he switched it to the FM band.

"Rodney, whatever are you doing with the radio?" Carson asked. He watched Rodney with curious eyes. Max merely watched him and cast Angel sideways glances.

"I think that the particles on the screen might be radio communications in some manner. And, aha!"

Rodney had found the bandwidth that the radio communications were on, and turned up the volume. It was encoded of course, but where there should have been nothing there was music. It was a strange harmony, to be sure, but it's ethereal beauty surpassed anything that anyone in the room had ever had.

"Whoa, long range sensors." Angel breathed.

Suddenly, a harsh, repeating tone superimposed itself over the otherwise beautiful music.

"What is that?" Carson asked, worried.

Angel was sobbing on the scanner bed.

Max noticed Angel crying, and moved over to comfort her. She patted Angel's back lightly and pulled her into a hug."Angel. Angel, baby, what's wrong?"

Angel pulled herself together somewhat. "It's them," she sobbed. "The Wraith."

Rodney stood rooted to the spot. "Crap." After a moment, he seemed to get over himself, and ran out of Sickbay, leaving the radio behind. Angel closed her eyes, and the tone disappeared, only to be replaced by an air of mystery within the song.

"There's some sort of _something_ happening out there, but I can't tell what it is." Angel explained. "Anyway, I'm going outside. I haven't flown in a while." She hopped down off of the bed and Max looked at her in surprise at how quickly she'd recovered. Or, at least seemed to.

"Here, take this, luv." Dr. Beckett held out the radio. Angel looked at it for a moment, then accepted the proffered radio. "Thanks…" After a moment, she turned and ran full speed out of the infirmary.

"Well," Dr Beckett began "I have good news for you."

"Oh?" Max carefully lifted an eyebrow.

"Her synaptic activity has not increased since last night. Maybe it's too soon to tell, but it looks as though her brain might not overload itself. I'll know for sure in two or three days. If previous experience is anything to go by, that is."

"Thanks. You know, it's kind of funny. I-we, the whole Flock, hated laboratories, hospitals, basically anything that smelled of antiseptic, and the people that worked in those places. Now, we're in a different galaxy, on what I used to think was a fictional city, in a land where magic is possible, and I find myself not hating my surroundings at all. Anyways, thanks for all your help." Max walked out, her wings spread slightly behind her, and the door groaned closed behind her.

_Angel:_

Angel ran through several hallways before arriving at a door on the pier level. She stopped for a moment, considering, then the door opened of it's own accord and Angel stepped through into the bright sunlight. Looking around, Angel noticed the bright sparkling mound of blue, and a green sparkle darting around in the air nearby the blue sparkling.

Spreading her pure white wings, Angel jumped into the air, rising to an altitude of about four stories before gliding downwards on stilled wings. Angel landed a few paces from the dragons, and walked over to Saphira.

Saphira found the girl with the white wings to be more interesting than playing dodge-tail with the very cheeky Amaranth, and quit waving her tail at the hatchling.

_"Who are you, young one?" _she queried gently. She had quietly withdrawn from Eragon's mind somewhat, but the link was still quite wide open between them.

_"Angel. You are?" _came the quiet response.

There was a low chuckle. _"I am Saphira, and the partner of my heart and mind is Eragon. You are distressed. What is wrong?"_

Saphira cocked her head to the side and lowered her head turned slightly sideways so that she was eye to eye with Angel. She was somewhat surprised at how calm Angel seemed around her. Most humans would have shied away from being this close to a dragon. But then Saphira understood this, Angel, was not all human. She could fly after all.

_"There is evil approaching, and I am powerless to stop it. I don't know what to do. Also, I'm linked to the city somehow. Max is really afraid my brain is going to go into overdrive and kill me or force me to ascend. I don't want to ascend, and I'm not completely sure I want to be so…so different. I can feel everyone around me, and it's overwhelming." _Angel replied. She wasn't sure why she was pouring out her feelings to a dragon she had only just met, but somehow, she trusted this dragoness.

_"Young one." _Saphira started comfortingly _"All this means is that you have found your wyrd, your destiny, and fighting one's wyrd is the height of folly. All will be well." _Saphira started purring, and Angel smiled.

The Kodak moment didn't last much more than a moment as Amaranth, tired of being ignored, landed on Saphira's head.

"_Why, you hatchling!" _Saphira roared mentally.

Amaranth, surprised by the force of the mental shout, slid off of Saphira's head sideways. It was a moment before she found her wings, and recovered. Angel, having seen the whole thing unfold, laughed at the green dragon. Amaranth landed nearby, and very deliberately stuck her tongue out at Angel.

Angel laughed while Saphira cocked her head questioningly. "You are so mature when you do that, you know." Angel said, still laughing.

Amaranth's face took on a look of insult. _"I cannot believe that you would insult a dragoness!" _Amaranth said in a mock hurt tone. She twitched her tail with an air of finality, then took flight, headed back to the solid shoulders of her Rider.

Ajax:

"So, why is there so little distinction between your women and your men?" asked Eragon.

"That's a bit of a tough question. It all started back in 1836 or so, when there was some serious prejudices in the legal system against women. There was this young woman, Susan B. Anthony by name, who wanted all to be equal in all things. She fought for most of her life for the cause she believed in, and is generally recognized by our people to be the founder of the feminist movement. She won in the end, and we've never been quite the same since then. At this point, our women have proved that they can do anything us men can do, and better. At least, that's their standpoint on it, but I say that men are far better at football that women, mainly because it's a rare woman who can understand the joy in sudden cranial impact for the entertainment of a nation."

Eragon gave Ajax an enquiring look.

"Ah…" Ajax started, then stopped, and tried two more times before finally saying "Football is an extreme contact sport. I never really saw the point in it because the rules are too confusing, and they take so long to do anything. I never figured it out, but millions of men from where I come from watch it, and a few play it professionally so they can get paid ridiculous amounts of cash."

"Cash?"

"Money, currency, basically, our system of economy is based on money. We do work, and get rewarded for our labors with money, which we then exchange for services or goods that we need. Here, we operate more on the barter system, but we don't really need much from each other here. For the most part, we barter with other worlds in this galaxy."

"Why bother with other worlds?" Eragon wanted to know.

"Simple. This was especially true before the Asgard gave us access to their hyper drive systems and we built a ship specifically for the 'milk run', but supplies here are not unlimited. Before the Daedalus made it's first run, we had no support from the home-world. We had to rely on the support of the other worlds to feed the city. Even now, the Daedalus could be called to the Milky Way to defend against some obscure threat that has just popped up now that the Go'auld are gone. We are on the weak end of the supply line, and so having friendships with other worlds is necessary."

Ajax walked with Eragon for about five minutes before Eragon turned to one of his 'guards' and as quickly as only an elf could, removed the nine-millimeter handgun from the holster.

"What is this?" he asked, waving it about.

"Whoa, be careful with that!" Ajax said, his face pale.

"Why?" Eragon asked as Ajax made a grab for the gun. Eragon held it above him, his fingers brushing the handle.

"It can't really do anything, can it?"

"It's called a gun, and yes it can do some-" Whatever Ajax was about to say was cut off as the weapon discharged into Ajax's chest.

Eragon looked in horror at the damage he had done, but knew that there was nothing he could do to save the Rider he had just injured.

Turning to one of the guards, Ajax said "…take…take Eragon to the…gun range…and ha-…have Ronon…teach him…about guns…don't punish him…I'll live…"Ajax's voice took on the tone of a tv broadcaster. "right after this…" looking at Eragon, he continued. "drink…Coke and play…again…it ain't your fault…besides…I'll just…come back…ag…" his eyes fluttered, and his systems shut down.

"Come on, kid." one of the guards said. "We're going to teach you about firearms. You heard the man, he'll be fine in about three minutes. Come on." the man continued.

Eragon walked numbly to the range, glancing back every few moments at Ajax's still body lying on the floor covered in red until they left the hall. Due to his ignorance, he had killed someone that was a friend, and he couldn't let it happen again. He resolved to learn all that he could about these people and their weapons, so as to avoid a mistake like this again.

While Eragon walked away, the ethereal mist shrouded Ajax from head to toe, healing everything it touched. Within three minutes, he was completely healed. "I have got to stop jumping in front of loaded guns in the hands of people who don't know what their doing with them." he muttered.

After shaking out his wings, Ajax dusted himself off, and used his will power combined with magic to clean up the blood on the floor and on his uniform. There were holes where the bullet had entered, but Ajax didn't care to fix them. After he had finished with the area, he took off at a dead run for the firing range.

"So, Eragon, right? This is a standard-issue P-90. It's a compact, lightweight, incredibly sturdy for…" Sheppard shut up as Ronon picked it up, and with one hand, squeezed on the trigger, causing the weapon to fire, ejecting the entire clip worth of bullets into a paper target. Ronon laid it down when it ran out.

"Good." Sheppard said, picking up another weapon. "Alright, this is a nine-millimeter, ah, semi-automatic,"

Whatever Sheppard would have said was drowned out by the sound of Ronon squeezing the trigger until the magazine in the handgun was empty.

He ejected the clip with the ease of a man who has been around weapons such as this for all his life, and laid the weapon down on the table next to the P-90.

Sheppard half-grinned. "That's good too."

"I still prefer this." Ronon said, pulling his blaster out of the handmade leather holster at his side. He fired at the second target. The red blob of energy vaporized a fist sized hole in the paper.

Sheppard leaned over to better examine the paper.

"I can still see why you would." he said, impressed. "Now you give it a try." he said, talking to Eragon.

Eragon hesitantly accepted the P-90 as it was proffered to him, and carefully aimed at the target. He squeezed the trigger, and the thing in his hands shook as it spat drabs of lead at the paper hanging at the end of the range.

When it was empty, he set it down, relieved to have it out of his hands. Picking up the nine, he carefully looked through the sights, and fired. When he released the trigger, a single shell hit the floor. He squeezed again, and the weapon fired again. More confident now, he squeezed the remaining shots off until it clicked. He then set it down, and pulled his bow out of it's tube and strung it. "I prefer this." he said, knocking an arrow. He took aim at the target that Ronon's blaster has hit, and released the string, sending it through the head. As with the sword, the bow was of magnificent workmanship, and rich in it's depth. Eragon, seeing Sheppard's eager look, allowed him to hold it, and Sheppard tried to pull back on the string, but he didn't get very far. Eragon suppressed a smile, the bow was intended for an elf, not a human.

"How the heck do you pull this thing?" Sheppard asked. Twitching his fingers as he handed the beautiful bow back to Eragon.

"Like this." Eragon said, pulling it back to it's full extension, before slowly returning it to normal load and unstringing it. Just then, Ajax walked in.

"Well, Sheppard? Is he now qualified to handle Earth firearms?"

Eragon whirled around. "How are…but you died!"

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. I just went to see how things are going with the big guy upstairs for a moment or two, that's all."

"I'm really sorry I killed you."

"I'm really not sorry it was me. Just think if you had gotten someone else! Me, I'll come back after the commercial." Sheppard laughed, and Ajax continued. "I don't know of anyone else who is going to come back the way I can." In reality, he did, but had promised not to tell anyone. "Well, shall we-uff!" The exclamation of surprise was due to a small green dragon that had rammed full speed into her Rider's stomach.

_"You really could have warned me, you know." _he said.

_"Now, what would be the fun in that?" _she asked, cheeky as ever.

_"I have no suitable retort for that, so…" _Ajax trailed off, then scooped the small dragon off of his stomach, and quite deliberately Gibb's Slapped her.

Her gaze was enough to set things on fire, and as her gaze swept over the range, and one of the paper targets ignited.

_"Hey, you rammed me, and expected to get away with it? I so don't think so, besides, I just did a light Gibb's slap. I once slapped a golf ball for a distance of about a mile." _Ajax defended.

The young dragoness' attitude cooled, and Ajax stood, placing Amaranth over his shoulders who knocked her head against his and purred.

"Come on, Eragon. Let's go see the rest of the city. Oh, and the whole killed thing, I picked up the ancient language while I was 'dead'."

"Really? What's the word for fire?"

"Brisingr." Ajax said, a wide grin on his face. The sword at Eragon's hip exploded into flame, changing from metal to a green-blue flame.

Eragon pulled out his sword, and noted that while the scabbard and hilt were not flaming, the blade was a sword shaped torch. "I thought I was the only one that could cause my sword to ignite just by saying the name." Eragon said, a tone of wonder in his voice.

"So did I. Come on, we have a city to tour."

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master Of the Blood Wolves: Well, things have been a bit strange ever since the Galby-dying part. He's still in shock that a hated tyrant is gone, just like that._

_Shout out to Avenging Angels, who has once again made this story better than before! Give her a round of applause, people!_

_Stay tuned, because in three days' time, I will post again, per my new year's resolution, which is to post once every three days at the outside._


	23. Kill Da Wraith!

It was supposed to be a quiet day for the Flock. All that that meant was the Flock wasn't going to go save the world or fight off armies of whatever stupidity was sent against them this time. For the most part, Nudge, Iggy and the Gasman intended to sit in their rooms and play with their abilities for a bit.

As the group dispensed with their breakfast dishes, they discussed what to do since Angel, then five minutes later, Max and Fang had left so precipitously with nothing more than a glance between them. In the end, they agreed to sit in their quarters and do whatever they were going to do. As they left the mess hall, Iggy and Gazzy were discussing plans for a movie, since Gaz could do voices for anyone, and Nudge was happily prattling on about whatever.

"Kay, bye!" Nudge said, sweeping her hand over the crystal. The door groaned open and she stepped inside, the door sliding closed behind her. Sitting at her sketch desk, she selected a pencil, and began the outline for another idea. Behind her, there was a bright flash of light.

"Well, if it isn't the young fashion artist." Q said smugly. "How are you enjoying yourself?"

Nudge's happiness deflated, her shoulders visibly sinking. "Q, I've been an Avian American all my life. Now I'm wingless. How do you think I'm enjoying myself, not being able to fly for the fun of it anymore?"

Q's expression was one of deep thought. "Have you ever tried sketching yourself?"

At Nudge's look, he knew she had not. "Here," he snapped his fingers, and the page beneath the one she was working on suddenly had a sketch of Nudge as she was. "You want wings, so draw."

Nudge's face showed her excitement, and she flipped the page over. Working quickly, she sketched her wings as she remembered them. Soon she had finished the sketch. Nudge stood up, waiting, but nothing happened.

Q bent down to look at the drawing more closely. "You did a very good job. I couldn't have done it faster myself." He straightened up again.

"Then why don't I have wings?" Nudge cried, desperate.

"What is this drawing missing? All the other artists do it." Q said, not wanting to just give away the answer. Suddenly, he looked at his watch. "Oh my, look at the time! I must be off. Ta-ta!" And with that, he snapped his fingers, vanishing in a flash of light.

Nudge looked the page over, from top to bottom before she realized that she hadn't signed it. Reaching down, she signed the bottom right corner with a flourish all her own, and stepped back. It worked, and her back tingled with power. The page erased itself, leaving it just as blank as it had been before Q's visit. A moment later, the tingling died down, and her wings were back.

She squealed with delight, her fingers brushing longingly over her soft, tawny colored wings. Before long, she could no longer contain her self and flew out of her room, barely allowing the door to open before she was out.

Stopping in front of Iggy's door, she swiped the crystal. The door opened, revealing Iggy and Gazzy, who instinctively separated. They relaxed when they saw that it was Nudge.

"What do you want, Nudge?" Iggy asked. He had been busy filling water balloons with Gazzy, and had barely had time to hide them. But, since it was Nudge. He reached under his bed and pulled five neon colored balloons out. Each was filled with a green concoction Gazzy had whipped up all by himself. Iggy didn't have the nerve to ask what was in them.

For once, Nudge spoke only one word. "Look," her tone said a lot, and she had both boys' attention. She spread her tawny wings and wiggled them. "I have my wings back!"

Gazzy and Iggy exchanged glances. This changed the balance slightly, because the whole Flock was supposed to go flying later this afternoon. They hid their real emotions quickly enough, and ran at Nudge, their arms spread wide. After the massive hug, they untangled themselves, and Ig said "You really should tell Max, I'm sure she'll be happy."

"Speaking of Max, you guys were supposed to be going flying soon, right?"

"Yeah…"

Iggy was really, really, really hoping that Nudge wouldn't guess what he would soon have up his sleeve. "What about it? I mean, you're welcome to join us again, seeing as you can fly now, but…I'm not sure…"

Gazzy had been gritting his teeth as Iggy fumbled through a line of nonsense, and finally, he just clamped his hand over Iggy's mouth. "We're working on a flamethrower unit for a movie we're doing, and it's supposed to splash flame over the door. We were about to test it when you showed up."

"Oh, okay, well I should go then. And don't worry, I won't tell Max about it."

"Good, she'd kill us if she knew."

"Bye." She left, and the doors closed behind her.

"Thank goodness I brought my flamer with me." Gazzy said, aiming the unit in question at the door. Iggy cast him a look as he wiped his mouth with an annoyed expression.

"Why?"

"Because, a flamethrower makes noise, and she's going to be expecting that." He opened the throttle, and a gaseous cloud of flame flew at the door, creating a splash effect. "Annnnnnnnd…CUT!" Gazzy said, mimicking Iggy's voice. "Now, let's get back to it."

Nudge was walking aimlessly through the halls of Atlantis, hoping that she would run into Max somewhere along the way, when she saw an emerald-green dragon fly through a door that let to the outside. Following the zippy young dragon, she heard someone talking, then an exclamation, then Eragon and Ajax filed out of the gun range. Through the open door, she heard "D'ya think you spooked him a little with that blaster of your's?" followed by a grunt.

Nudge fell into step with Ajax.

"Have you seen Max at all?" she asked.

Eragon hadn't, and Ajax responded "No, haven't seen her, but I can do a thorough mental sweep." After a moment, he frowned. "I don't think she's in the city. I swept the entire city, and she's not here."

_Max:_

"So, how are you enjoying my gift to you?" Q asked abruptly. He had quietly stepped out of a transporter, and fallen in step with Max.

Max glanced at the red-Starfleet-uniform clad being, and formulated an answer. "Your gift was for each of us to get the thing we wanted most, right?"

"Yes. I said that in the tent with that dark-skinned woman that looked like she was a primitive queen." he replied snobbishly, rolling his eyes. "Don't you remember birdie?"

Max decided to ignore his question. Her wings twitched at her back itching to fly. But she wasn't near the outside now. Instead she was stuck here. With Q.

"Well, the thing I wanted most was for the whole Flock to be together and safe, where we don't have to worry every moment of our lives."

"And you got it. Even your gothic boy made a more obvious choice."

Max blinked, all Fang wanted was…oh crap. "You mean…?"

"Yes. You human recombinants really are slow, aren't you?"

"No, just smarter in areas regarding combat. Sadly, that's just what we have the most practice with." Max replied. Q's attitude was getting on her nerves, and she just knew she could out-sarcasm this being if she so chose. Q seemed to think this as well though he'd never admit it. So he said, "Well, you won't have to worry about fighting any more. At least not if you don't want to."

"I still don't see how we are all safe and together. I mean, Angel was nearly eaten by the city! And that was on top of my stress from Nudge losing her wings! We're only a Flock if we can all be together, even in the air, and if you don't get that, then you seriously need to brush up on your knowledge of humans. Because that's the way we are, we need people, and we tend to get attached to the people around us, Q, when we can't go flying together for the hell of it, or go on a scouting mission together because someone's not up to full fighting strength, we're not the team we were. We're incomplete."

Max kept on walking, but after a moment, realized it was doing her no good. Without her noticing, her surroundings were pure white, reminding her of Angel's wings, and there was nowhere to walk to.

"I have never, in all my immortal life, been dressed down like that." Q said. His face showed that he wasn't angry, but curious. "I've been argued with, I've even been punched, and that boy, was fun, but I've never heard anyone imply that I don't know something."

"Q!" Roared Max, furious. "Put. Me. Back. On. Atlantis. Now." She clearly and precisely clipped each word out. Her eyes sending Q a death glare that would have stopped any human's heart beat.

"My, my, I can see why your resident emo likes you. You are cute when you're angry." Q replied, enjoying himself. At this last comment, Max probably would have attempted to tear the omnipotent being apart if she thought she might have a good chance of winning. "Fine." he pouted. "I'll take you back to the city, right back where we were. But you know that you're just postponing the inevitable. I'm going to have to come calling later, but right now, due to a promise I made to you, I need to talk to Jean-Luc about a favor." Q vanished in a flash of light, leaving Max in the white nothingness.

Max, tired of Q, tired of fighting for anything at the moment, curled up on the whiteness, and promptly went to sleep. Around her, the light from the whiteness dimmed considerably, allowing Max to sleep comfortably for what seemed like several hours to her, but was three seconds in the city. When she woke up, the light came back to full strength, and Q came back.

"Had a good nap?" he inquired, not mocking her.

"Yeah." she mumbled. After a few moments, she was as fresh as ever, and felt like she was ready for whatever Q might have for her.

"Good." Q snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash of light. A moment later, the flash engulfed Max in it's brilliance, and she was once again standing in the halls of the city. She looked around wildly for a moment, then, knowing where she was, walked back towards the central tower. If her watch was correct, she was due to meet with the rest of the Flock on the balcony in fifteen minutes. She could use some fresh air.

_Enterprise-D:_

"What are you doing here, Q?" demanded Jean-Luc Picard, setting down his book.

"Ah, mi Capitan, I am here because I need you to do something for me." came the arrogant reply.

"You haven't returned Data to us yet, and now you need me to help you out again?" the captain asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Yes, well I'll have Mr. Data returned at once, but I'll be…helping you explore strange new worlds, or whatever it is that you do."

"Really."

"Yes. You see, there is an expedition in another galaxy, referred to as Pegasus. And there is an alien race there that is even more dangerous than the Borg. They are all alone there, trying to fight this colossal threat to humanity, and I want to help you help them." The captain cocked his head at Q.

The computer chimed. "Proximity alert!"

Picard's combadge chirped. "Picard here."

"Captain." Worf's disembodied voice announced. "There is an unidentified vessel, directly ahead of us."

"On my way, Mr. Worf." he tapped his combadge. "You'll have to excuse me, but I have to deal with something." Picard said, smiling at Q. He was pleased to finally be able to get a moment away from the brash Q.

"Report." Picard said, walking out onto the bridge. He tapped the com and was pleased to see that Q had not followed him.

"The vessel appears to be made of an organic substance, and has many small shuttlecraft aboard the vessel. Should it prove to be hostile, I think we should have no problem destroying it." the Klingon stated.

"Very good, hail the vessel."

"Hailing frequencies open, sir."

"This is Jean-Luc Picard, of the Federation Starship Enterprise. We are on a peaceful mission of exploration, please respond."

After a long moment, the viewer picture changed to show the grinning face of a Wraith queen. She was talking to a subordinate off-screen. "This galaxy is so rich, the food even introduces itself!" she cried.

Jean-Luc suppressed a shudder, surely she didn't mean that they fed on humans?

"She means exactly what you think it means, Jean-Luc." Q stated. The captain whirled to see the being twirling in his chair.

"Q. What are you doing in my chair?" demanded the starship captain.

"Simple. I'm here to give a few orders."

"Like what?"

"Captain," the Klingon spoke again. "The unknown vessel is powering weapons. I think it is safe to assume that they are hostile." No sooner were the words out of his mouth when the Hive ship in front of them launched it's darts. A moment later, the ship itself fired off a salvo of plasma bursts, broadside to the ship.

The ship rocked from the impacts against it's shields.

"Shields at 39 percent."

"Fire at will, Mr. Worf!"

"Wait!" yelled First Officer Riker. "I don't want to be fired at!"

Picard smiled then. "Fire on that vessel." he said calmly.

Phaser fire ripped into the vessel, causing extensive burn damage, and boring holes in a few places. Photon torpedoes raced after the bright lines of phaser fire, eager to accomplish the mission of destruction they had been sent out to do. More plasma bursts impacted the ship.

"Shields are down. The enemy vessel is attempting to flee."

A photon torpedo got lucky, and took out the hyper drive just as the Hive was preparing to enter hyperspace.

"They appear to have changed their minds about honorable combat!" the Klingon said with delight. "We will crush them."

"Make it so, Mr. Worf. And don't hold back."

"Aye sir." he replied, happy to be allowed to destroy the vessel.

"Sir! The small craft are approaching. What should we do about them?"

"Oh, If I were you," Q put in, "-I'd destroy them. They can and will capture people with their Darts. Later, if they survive that long, they will feed on the humans they pick up."

Worf took the Q's advise, his hands shaking slightly, and shot down the craft as they approached. One after another, the Darts perished under a withering array of phaser banks in the skilled hands of a Klingon. A third salvo rocked the ship.

"We've taken some damage, mostly superficial, but the deflector dish is offline."

"Destroy that ship, Mr. Worf. Ensign, I'll take the conn." Picard sat down at the station that the ensign had just vacated, and began a series of evasive maneuvers designed to put some space between the Enterprise and the unknown enemy vessel.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and Q was gone. A moment later, Data was sitting in the command chair.

"Data! Good to have you back with us." Picard said, turning to see what had happened.

The android cocked his head. "It's good to be back, sir."

Meanwhile, Worf had fired every torpedo in the ship, and had almost taken the phasers to their limit. Suddenly, there was a massive power surge, and Worf lost his precious phasers.

"Captain, I have fired every torpedo, and the phasers have just gone off-line. We can't go to warp without the deflector dish. How shall we proceed?"

Picard turned to Data, who had taken his normal station again, and said "Route all power to the Structural Integrity Field."

Data carried out the order, but Riker moved to question his captain. "Why the SIF, sir? We're in space, and in a stable section of space, at that. We don't need it."

"Yes we do, Number One." Picard said with a smile. "Data, how much power do we have in the impulse engines?"

"Impulse engines are at one hundred percent operation, captain." the android looked questioningly at the captain. "What do you intend to do that would require impulse power and the SIF?"

He smiled. "Ramming speed!" he said, pointing at the Hive.

Riker put his hand to his forehead, and sat down in shock; rubbing his hands through his hair. Data merely made the necessary adjustments, then looked to the captain for confirmation.

Picard swung the ship around, then brought her up to full speed, monitoring the other ship's position.

The Hive knew that it was doomed, and tried to move out of the way. Picard saw the Hive moving, and adjusted. Three seconds later, the saucer section of the ship sliced into the Hive ship, rending bulkheads and decks as if they were butter, or fine strings. The two halves of the heavily damaged Hive floated apart as the lower section of the Enterprise slammed into the rear half, causing even more damage to that half of the organic vessel.

Enterprise flew on, resolute in her resolve. Ten seconds after the secondary impact, the half of the Hive with engines still attached exploded, taking the forward half with it. All that was left were three Darts, and Worf's phaser would soon speak again.

"Ah, congratulations mi Capitan. I didn't think you had it in you to destroy an alien that your precious Federation hadn't heard about yet. I see you've found your pet android. Data, how was your trip?"

"It was largely uneventful. After finding myself in a primitive situation, I was taken back to Voyager with the bridge staff. There, each member of the crew gave me several personal letters to give to their families. At the end of the time you had set forth, I was brought back to the bridge of the Enterprise, where I assisted Captain Picard in his battle against a ship of unknown origin, and organic composition." the Soong-type android ceased his condensed narrative of recent events.

"Well, sounds like you had a delightful time. Though you needn't have gone over that last part I was here, remember booty? Oh, and Capitan, you are not in the federation anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" thundered Picard, a vein sticking out on his forehead and his face flushing.

"I mean that in order to fulfill a promise I made, I brought you to the Pegasus Galaxy. I also brought the rest of the operational ships from your Federation. After you accomplish the task, you will be returned to your own reality and place and time and all that." Q waved his hands as if it was all so simple and obvious. "I'll even help your ship out a little bit." He snapped his fingers, and all the damage the ship had taken in it's most recent battle vanished, and the torpedo banks were fully restocked. The humans in the room looked at each other.

"I must be going so I'll just say this once. Good Luck." With that, Q snapped his fingers again, and vanished. No sooner had he gone than no less than twelve Hives shot out of hyperspace.

"Captain, need I remind you that because your ship is the most strategically important vessel of the Fleet, you are in command of the fleet for the duration of this battle." Data said, reminding Picard of his duties.

"No…I already knew that. But thank you anyway. Hailing frequencies, Mr. Worf."

"Open, sir."

"This is Jean-Luc of the Federation starship Enterprise. Seeing as how my ship is of the highest strategic importance, I am hereby taking command of the fleet. All captains, acknowledge."

Varying voices from varying starships acknowledged Picard's leadership.

"We will be fighting an enemy known as the Wraith. Their ships are organic in nature, and are quite susceptible to a ramming tactic. I leave all captains of all vessels to command their respective ships as there is only one goal here: Destroy those ships, or they will attempt to destroy humanity. Picard out."

There was a tone, and the viewer switched from the StarFleet laurels to a view of the organic ships. They were not yet in weapons range, and Picard saw no point in showing them what Federation ships could do if provoked, at least not yet. Darts screamed from their bays, and Worf opened fire on the strike craft. One by one, the ships behind the Enterprise opened fire as the Darts entered their weapons range.

Worf, knowing that the Wraith would attempt a strategic withdrawal, shot out each Hive's hyper drives with a full spread of photon torpedoes, armed with a nuclear warhead so as to prevent regeneration of the drives, at least for a little while. The Hives turned broadside to the fleet, and began firing salvos at their attackers. Because they were spreading their shots out instead of focusing on one ship, the shields of nearly every ship held. One ship, an old Constitution-class, lost her shields, and after several shots pounded into her aging hull, the captain turned the ship, and ran for the Hives.

"Captain, there is a warp core breach in progress. We should beam out the crew, and allow the ship to explode among the Hive ships."

"Make it so, Mr. Data."

The Constitution's engines were never meant for more than warp seven, but that was enough to cause some serious problems for anyone nearby when it blew up. Her course was slightly off, and instead of flying for the dead center of the opposing fleet, she gently nosed into a Hive before the core broke completely, causing a massive explosion. She took three Hives with her, and a fourth exploded in the sympathetic explosions of the other Hives. Debris littered the space around them and bounced off Enterprise's shields. Picard held strong at the front.

"Well, I'm sorry to see her go, captain, but she went out doin' her job. Ah, she was a fine ship."

"My condolences to you, captain…"

"Scotty, just call me Scotty. I swear, she handled just like Kirk's old Enterprise."

"You may drink to her in Ten-Forward, Captain Scotty." Picard said quietly to other captain. He knew that any good Scotman that had been around any one ship long enough grew very fond of it, and it was like loosing a baby.

"Ah, thank ye captain. Ye don't know how much that means to me." Scotty walked off of the bridge, and disappeared behind the turbo lift doors. A Nebula-class ship suddenly shot forwards, and the remaining Hives scattered, fearing a matter-antimatter explosion like the previous one.

The Nebula-class picked a Hive, and drove her sharp saucer through a fleeing Hive, splitting it in half from right and left.

Behind her an experimental Prometheus-class split into three parts, and proceeded to lay waste to a Hive, taking out an entire Hive on it's own. Enterprise ran out of torpedoes, and this time, Picard ordered the separation of the ship, then drove his saucer through a Hive, Worf firing his phasers all the while. Only two Hives were left at this point, and one had just finished repairs to it's hyper drive. Worf locked on it with a tractor beam, and with the lower phaser, proceeded to cut the hyper drive out of the Hive with the lower phasers.

At this point, nearly half of the Fleet had either returned to Federation space, or in the case of Sotty's old Constitution-class, exploded. One Hive exploded from some sort of power issue, and the other one crumbled under the remaining firepower of the fleet. Suddenly, there was a bright flash that seemed like a continuation of the final explosion, and Picard found that he and his ship were back in Federation space.

"Report, please." he said.

Data's head twitched. "This is most unusual. For a battle like that, we should have taken heavy damage after our shields collapsed. We are in perfect condition, as if we had just left a starbase."

"Systems report that our armaments are restocked, and the phasers are in perfect condition." The Klingon looked up from his board with a smile. "Even so, it was a good battle, sir."

"Yes it was, Mr. Worf. I'll be in my ready room, Riker, you have the bridge."

"Yes, Sir." Riker moved to the center chair, and issued a heading.

Picard reached the door, then turned around before Riker could say anything more.

"Engage, Mr. Data." With that, he entered his ready room, and the doors swished shut behind him.

_Angel:_

_"The Wraith have dropped out of hyperspace!"_ Angel cried telepathically to Max. _"There's something else happening. A war. No, it's a slaughter! A ship has exploded, and it took four Hives with it. Max, the weird thing I felt right after the Wraith was the ships of the Federation arriving to fight for us!"_

"So that answers that." Max muttered out loud. It made sense now. Q always did like doing things on a grand scale, why not bring in several ships from the future?_ "Max, they're winning, and the Wraith are getting their asses kicked!"_

_"I really need to get through to you about your potty mouth, miss."_ Max thought sternly. Angel's mind withdrew almost at once. Max grinned.

The entire Flock arrived all at nearly the same time at the balcony overlooking the city.

"Max!" Nudge squealed.

"What?" Max asked as Nudge ran up and gripped her in a tight hug.

"Okay, so, like, Q paid me a visit earlier today, and-"

"Q? Paid you a visit?" Max interrupted her. Her face hardened but Nudge didn't notice her look. The others did however and Fang cast her a glance she didn't see.

"Yeah, and he showed me how to get my wings back! Now I can just remove them whenever I want or need to, and get my wings back when I'm done!"

"How?" Max asked, curious. Her shoulders loosened and she realized that she had been more worried about Nudge and her MIA wings than she'd let herself believe.

"All I have to do is sketch myself with or without wings, and sign it! Oh, I'm so happy!" Nudge squealed. Max twisted her finger around in her ear a moment, then said, "That's great, and I'm really happy for you, but could you possibly not squeal in my ear?" She nodded her head towards Iggy who was holding his ears and wincing.

"Oh, right. Sure, I'm sorry. I just got a little carried away, that's all." Fang had been quietly standing at one of the posts that held up a skeleton frame roof, and had turned invisible. The Flock had no idea he was there though he'd been watching the whole time.

"Well," Max said. "As soon as Fang shows up, we'll get outta here and fly for a bit, sound good?"

Variations of yeah, floated around, then Fang moved, disrupting his invisibility. "Why wait?" he said, taking to the air. Max threw him a glare, but it was wasted on him because she didn't really mean it, and he couldn't see it anyway.

They had been doing laps around the central tower, putting on something of a show for ART-1, who was standing on the balcony, when Iggy nodded at Gazzy. Two water balloons fell together, one hitting Max between the wings, the other square on the head. A third whipped past, hitting Saphira, who looked up to see the reason for water falling on her head. What she saw was as amusing as it was strange.

Two boys were cackling and pulling brightly colored objects out of their shirts before throwing them at their leader, the girl with tawny wings, and Angel. She would have joined in the fun, but she didn't have any of these brightly colored objects, and besides, it was much more amusing to watch.

Max whipped around in the air, effortlessly, and charged towards the cackling boys. Using her hyper speed she landed with one knee bent and her wings spread on the balcony.

Iggy and Gazzy had been throwing balloons at her high in the air only a split second before and their eyes widened as their mouths made tiny O's when they realized Max was now in front of them.

After pinning Iggy's arms to his sides, she shook him out, causing his supply to fall. Angel used her telekinesis to hold them steady in the air, and kept the group of water balloons near Max or Nudge at all times. Gazzy split off from the group, and went around the tower, and up, landing on the central tower. Max saw him and thought about it, but didn't decide to actually chase him down from there.

Gazzy stood ramrod stiff, and tipped forwards, falling off of his perch. As soon as he was airborne again, he pulled out two water balloons, and dropped them. Just as he did so, he heard Sheppard say "glad they're on our side. Look at the stuff they're pulling on each other, and that's just practice!" Gazzy folded his wings, and dropped like a rock, whizzing past the balcony where ART-1 was observing the Flock with Dr. Weir.

He pulled out of his dive a moment later, cackling like mad, and pausing in his ascent to hand Iggy a pair of water balloons. A moment later, a cry of 'HEY!' could be heard from the balcony, and Gazzy knew that his balloons had found their marks. One had been destined for Sheppard's head, the other for McKay. Finally, as evening was drawing near, Gaz ran out of water balloons, and Angel had possession of the last balloon that had been 'removed'.

Gazzy was looking around to see what was going on, then realized what Angel having a balloon in her hand meant. He dropped about three feet to avoid the projectile, but it merely looped around, and came at him for another pass. This time, he inverted, and pumped his wings hard to avoid the balloon. He dropped right into it.

With soaking wings and clothes Gazzy righted himself, then flew over to Max.

"Good game." he said, a little miffed that his sister would use her abilities against him like that.

"Yeah, well. Warn me next time you intend to fling a water balloon at my head. I nearly thought someone had shot at me." Max replied casually, shaking Gazzy's outstretched arm. "Let's go find dinner."

_Author's Note: Super long chapter! Yay me._

_Now for answers to readers that had time to review this:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: The Wraith are locked out, at least until the shield over the planet shuts down from every Hive flinging plasma bolts at the shield. It would take some doing, but it could be done. At this point, there are twelve less Hives to do that than before. I'm sure that anything that wanted to could get inside if they truly wanted to, but the idea was that only Atlantis can access it, and that means that you have to dial on to Atlantis, not get killed by the people there, and then dial Alagaesia._

_Now if I've answered all the questions posed to me, I'm going to send this to Avenging Angels so that this otherwise decent story can be truly great._

_Read and…don't drive drunk, or something._

_Avenging Angels here!_

_Some what decent? Ha, people, if you're reading this, what you see is what you get. Sure I do a bit of editing but Hideout Writer is the brilliant mind behind this incredible story. So give him some credit. He works hard and puts a lot into this story. Also I'd just like to thank him for allowing me to continue to Beta this story. It's been a ride._

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_


	24. Siesta

**System boot command received. Initializing hard disk:…Success!**

**Initializing main processor:…Initialization failed, retrying**

**Initialization failed! Retrying**

**Initialization failed! Retrying**

**Initialization success! Error, memory incomplete, access, 38%**

**Onlining optics: failed**

**Onlining optics: failed**

**Onlining optics: failed**

**Onlining optics: success! Error, focusing lens not present, switching to secondaries…success!**

**Initializing servos: Error! Servos not present.**

**Initiate self-repair…error! Servos not present.**

**Warning! System failure.**

**Warning! System failure**

**Warning system failure…optics offline…main processor offline…hard disk offline…no systems functional.**

_There's my excuse for being late, folks! Ah, well, the show must go on!_

_Eragon:_

After the orientation with firearms, Eragon and Ajax were leaving the firing range. A young girl with mocha colored skin came up to Ajax and asked about Max. Ajax mentally filled Eragon in a little about the Flock. He didn't miss the Rider's shock nor fail to notice the waves of curiosity now pulsing from him.

"No, I haven't seen her, but I can do a mental sweep." A moment later, Ajax frowned. "I don't think she's in the city. I swept the entire city, and she's not here."

"Kay, well, thanks anyway. Bye!" The excited girl left, and Eragon looked at Ajax questioningly.

"What was that all about?"

"I have no clue." Ajax replied, scuffing his boots against the pristine floor. "Frankly, not sure if I care. Come on, there's sure to be lunch on soon."

Eragon followed Ajax to the East mess, which was the closest to the gun range, and Eragon looked over the food choices. "On today's lunch menu, we have greasy, starchy, or ammo." Ajax said, doing his best to imitate a radio announcer. Most of the buffet was taken up with variations of pizza, but there were beans in a thick dark brown liquid, white mounds with steam whisping off of it, and a mound of a yellow substance that was also warm enough to steam.

Ajax picked half a pizza, the grease staining his hands and making them oily, and after pulling the slices apart, set it on his tray. A helping of mashed potatoes was added, then the beans and a slightly smaller helping of the yellow stuff. After setting the tray down at one of the tables on the edge of the group, Ajax grabbed a cup and filled it with water.

"What are the color cards for?" Eragon asked, gesturing at the small cards that sat in front of the dishes. Ajax realized he hadn't explained them but really he hadn't felt the need. He'd become so accustomed to how everything worked on Atlantis that he forgot how it all must look for someone new to it all. Especially Eragon.

"Oh, we have vegetarians on Atlantis, so the chefs in each Mess have vegan dishes for those people. For instance, the cheese pizza gets a green tag because it has no meat in it, same goes for the potatoes, mac 'n' cheese, and the second basin of beans. The first basin is pork 'n' beans."

"Thank you." Eragon returned to the line and picked up three slices of the cheese pizza, and some potatoes.

"So," Ajax asked between bites after they'd settled down at the end of a long table. "What do you think of the city?"

"It is…interesting. Even the elven city of Ellesmera is not as grand."

Ajax had been intently looking at a source of bright light as Eragon talked, then he twisted his head away from the table, and released a might sneeze. Amaranth, who had been on her Rider's shoulders, jumped in surprise, then Gibb's Slapped him with her tail.

_"You did not warn me!" _she growled mentally.

Ajax still had his head down, and after a moment, he raised his head again. "Excuse me. I've been looking to get rid of that one for about three days now. Eragon nodded in understanding, he had had that urge occasionally before.

The rest of the meal was spent in a comfortable silence. Occasionally the Rider's swapped stories of what they had experienced. Eragon told Ajax of his first encounter with the 'stone' that had actually been Saphira. Ajax swapped his story as well. Both Rider's understood the great responsibility they held. All four of them.

After Ajax finished, he cleared his setting, then walked back to the table.

"Well, from noon 'til about one thirty we have siesta, so most people are relaxing in their favorite places. Rodney's lab was where I was going to go next, but he'll just about kill anyone who enters his lab unless it's an emergency during the siesta. I'm going to my quarters; you may join me if you wish." So saying, Ajax turned and walked down a hallway without a backwards glance.

Eragon watched him go, then hurried to finish his own food. Through his link with Saphira, he felt something hit her head, and then felt the water running over her scales. Switching his vision to Saphira's eyes, he saw the two younger boys throwing water balloons at the girls. He pulled back, and cleared his setting. His elven guards stood up from their varying positions in the mess, and his human 'escorts' straightened up. According to Lady Wier, he was allowed to go anywhere in the city, so long as at least two members of the expedition were with him at all times. He pondered everything he had learned that morning, then decided to go find Ajax.

"Where is the section of the city where I was assigned a room?" he asked one of the escorts.

"Right this way, sir." the man said, walking out. Eragon followed him, and the man stopped at a closet set into the wall. There was a short conversation, and it was decided that half of the elven retinue with Eragon would go with one of the escorts, and the second one would take the other half.

Eragon hesitantly entered the small space, glancing around and inspecting the closed setting, and the doors closed behind the group, opening again a moment later. Eragon stepped out, relieved, then turned as the doors closed again. They opened a moment later to reveal the other half of his elven guard. The two escorts moved to a position on either side and slightly in front of Eragon. "Right this way." One of the said invitingly, waving his hand down the hall.

Eragon followed, then found himself in a familiar hallway. Eragon knew exactly where he was now, and moved with greater purpose. He stopped before Ajax's door, and swiped the door control. It chimed, but did not open. A moment later, there was the familiar chiming swoosh, and the door groaned open to show Ajax standing there, Amaranth over his shoulders, and an odd weapon or tool of some sort slung over his shoulder.

"May I enter?" he asked.

"Sure, I needed someone on bass or drums. Just pick the one that you think you'll like better, and I'll show you how it works." Eragon cast him a glance over his shoulder and then walked over to the stand where an implement similar to the one Ajax was wearing stood. It was surprisingly light, even by human standards.

"What is this thing?" Eragon asked, fingering the small buttons on the face of the long handle.

"That. Is a Rock-Band 2 guitar, standard edition." Ajax stooped to pick up a small rectangular item, then plugged it into a slot in a white box with a green ring on it. Steeping over to Eragon, he looked at the guitar for a moment, then pressed and held a button before releasing it. A quarter circle of green moved around for a moment before stopping.

"I think it stopped doing whatever it was supposed to do." Eragon said, looking at the now stationary light.

"No, if it stopped, then it's ready to do what it was made for."

"And that is?"

"Make some music!" Ajax replied.

He picked at the strum bar a few times, then brought up a screen that showed four positions. One was already filled, and showed a pretty good likeness of Ajax standing with a flamboyantly colored electric in his hands. "Press the green key." Ajax said, pointing at the key in question.

Eragon did so, and a list of available characters appeared. "Now use the strum bar to select the one you want, and push the green key again."

Eragon was not sure about this whole thing, and kept muttering variations on spells, trying to find a trap. He selected a character, and pushed the key. The screen changed over to the music list, and Ajax used the strum bar to scroll through the list, stopping at 'The Eye of the Tiger.' He pushed the green button, and the screen shifted again.

"All you have to do is match the color of the bars on the screen to the buttons on your fret board." Ajax explained. "When the colored bar gets to the bar at the bottom, you have to hold down the corresponding button and push the strum bar at the same time." At the look on Eragon's face, Ajax knew he hadn't quite figured it out. "You'll pick it up soon enough. I put it on what I like to call 'party mode', so you can't fail. Just watch me, then apply what you learn. I also have to sing the lyrics." Ajax turned his attention to the screen, and began to play. After a few moments, he began to sing.

"Risin' up, back on the street/Did my time, took my chances/Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet/Just a man and his will to survive/So many times, it happens too fast/You change your passion for glory/Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past/You must fight just to keep them alive/(Chorus:)

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight/Risin' up to the challenge of our rival/And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night/And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat/Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry/They stack the odds 'til we take to the street/For the kill with the skill to survive

(chorus)It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight/Risin' up to the challenge of our rival/And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night/And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

/Risin' up, straight to the top/Have the guts, got the glory/Went the distance, nowI'm not gonna stop Just a man and his will to survive/(chorus)

/It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight/Risin' up to the challenge of our rival/And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night/And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger/The eye of the tiger

The eye of the tiger

The eye of the tiger

The eye of the tiger

The eye of the tiger…"

The song ended, and Ajax mock bowed. He glanced back at Eragon who still looked slightly confused. He was grinning though. "Now, that was fun, but it was far too easy. I could have played that with track boards off. Let's do something a little more difficult."

The scores showed up.

Vocals: 93%

Lead Guitar: 99%

Drums: 0%

Bass Guitar:89%

"Now see that? 89 percent, that's not bad at all for someone who has just picked up an axe."

The song list showed up again, and Ajax picked 'Mirror, mirror' by 'Blind Guardian'

The song began, and Ajax's virtual guitar thundered out the intro of the song. The lyrical line started, and Ajax scrambled to start singing.

"Far, far beyond the island/We dwelt in shades of twilight/Through dread and weary days/Through grief and endless pain/It lies unknown/The land of mine/A hidden gate/To save us from the shadow fall/The lord of water spoke/In the silence/Words of wisdom/I've seen the end of all/Be aware the storm gets closer

(First Chorus)Mirror Mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That the winds will change/Mirror Mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That tomorrows bears insanity

Gone's the wisdom/Of a thousand years/A world in fire and chains and fear/Leads me to a place so far/Deep down it lies my secret vision/I better keep it safe/Shall I leave my friends alone/Hidden in my twilight hall/Know the world is lost in fire/Sure there is no way to turn it/Back to the old days/Of bliss and cheerful laughter/We're lost in barren lands/Caught in the running flames/Alone/How shall we leave the lost road/Time's getting short so follow me/A leader's task so clearly/To find a path out of the dark

(Second chorus)Mirror Mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That the winds will change/Mirror Mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That the winds will change"

The song shift to the guitar solo, and Ajax played around, in general acting silly until the solo ended.

-88%-

-Good Solo- the screen read.

Even though/The storm calmed down/The bitter end/Is just a matter of time/Shall we dare the dragon/Merciless he's poisoning our hearts/Our hearts/How shall we leave the lost road/Time's getting short so follow me/A leader's task so clearly/To find a path out of the dark

(Second Chorus)Mirror mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That the winds will change/Mirror Mirror on the wall/True hope lies beyond the coast/You're a damned kind can't you see/That the winds will change."

"That's just about exhausting isn't it?" Eragon asked, nodding at Ajax. "Also, I'm not used to this," Eragon struggled for words, "-type, of music. The Elves would have never lasted here. They would have cursed you saying that you are destroying the peace they have so long kept."

"Eh, but when you do it every day, and get better and better at it, eventually, you'll run ten songs back to back, and then be tired. And as for the music," Ajax laughed, "-this is a whole new world!" Ajax replied with a grin.

"Quite." He seemed to be enjoying it though he still seemed confused.

"You play ten songs?" Eragon asked, incredulous.

"No, I only wish I did." Ajax returned with a grin. "Would you like something to drink?" Ajax's hand was poised at a white box that suddenly clicked, then began to hum.

"…Sure." Eragon said at last.

Ajax opened the door of the mini-fridge, and white wisps of cooled air floated out as Ajax retrieved two bottles of a blue fluid. He handed on to Eragon before twisting the top off of his own.

"Ah, now that's the good stuff." Ajax said, after having taken a sizable gulp of the fluid.

Eragon looked sideways at Ajax, somewhat uncomfortable, the finally said "What is this stuff?"

"Mountain Dew Voltage." Ajax said. "It's a kind of soda that we have back at home. Try it, you'll like it."

Eragon hesitantly opened it, and sniffed at it first. His training kicked in, and he quietly checked it for poisons. His magical scans came up with some very interesting things, and Eragon set down the drink.

"What's in this?" he asked, very calmly.

Ajax turned the bottle in his hand, and began reciting the ingredients.

"And what do all those words really mean?" Eragon asked, deadly calm.

Ajax, knowing that Eragon had probably looked for poisons, remained as unflappable as any good Vulcan might. The words he used were not nearly so Vulcan. "I have no friggin' clue. All I know is that I like this stuff. And yes, doctors keep saying that people shouldn't drink it all the time, but they also say that people shouldn't drink wine or beer all the time. I really don't give much of a frag, mainly because I'm immortal, but because even if I weren't it's not going to kill me all that quick. IF, and that is a very big if, it were to kill me, it would take a long time to do it. I haven't seen any illnesses reported in conjunction with soda, and I'm going to drink it. So, Eragon, the choice is yours. I know you won't die of natural causes. I'm assuming that means that certain diseases are also barred, such as cancer, a wasting disease that can take years to kill someone, or Alzheimer's, which steals a person's memory, also over a period of time."

Ajax tipped his soda back. Setting it down again, he swallowed, and continued. "I'm not going to knowingly give you something that could kill you."

Eragon looked pacified, and did in the end try the drink. "This is some pretty interesting stuff." he said, sputtering.

Ajax half-grinned. "You've never had carbonated anything, have you? It can be somewhat…" Ajax searched for the right word. "It can kick a little depending on the soda."

"Is that what you call it? Kick?"

Ajax laughed and said, "Well, kick, punch, power, we haven't really come up with a brand new word to describe in properly, but we've been content with the words we have."

"Hmm. Sounds like a lazy people to me."

"Nah, we just have bigger things afoot that dealing with making a new word."

"Touché."

Eragon looked at Amaranth, who seemed to be engaged in some sort of communication or competition with her rider.

Ajax sighed a moment later, and grabbed a third bottle of Voltage out of the min-fridge. He pulled a bowl out of the cupboard, then poured the contents of the bottle into the bowl. He then set it down on a table, and Amaranth hopped down from her perch, and began lapping it up.

"Even she likes it. After I let her try it, she kept hounding me for more."

The two Riders looked at the dragon.

"I had to limit her to one a day, because Mountain Dew isn't exactly something that you'd find out here in Pegasus."

Eragon smiled a little at that; ever since Saphira had tried mead, she would drink it whenever she could. "I know the feeling." he said, laughing. "I have a hard time supporting Saphira's habit with mead."

"Well, just don't go anywhere near the Smurf Piss. It might look the same as this, but if it doesn't come in a bottle like this, and is not sealed, then it's probably the Smurf Piss. I tried it. Once."

The look on Ajax's face as he remembered sampling it, was too comical, and Eragon started laughing.

"It. Kicked. My. _Ass_." Ajax said, then he too broke down laughing. "But it must have been funny as hell for anyone watching me."

"It must have if you're still laughing about it."

"Oh, after I had helped Radek with some work he had to do, and tasted his Smurf Piss, we get along great. All I have to do to get him to at least laugh is say 'Smurf Piss!' in a really high pitched voice, with my eyes bugged out, and in general looking like I'm bout half strangled." Ajax paused in his tale, remembering "I dared Ronon to do it, and he agreed to try it, he just about exploded from it. Ever since then though, I've used it for a kick-ass fire starter."

"Really? I just ask Saphira to burp over my campfire, and it's on fire." Eragon said.

_"Tell him everything. You shall not leave him with the impression that I am your personal fire-starter." _Saphira said, having listened to the conversation.

_"Fine, I'll tell him. But it does make for an amusing tale." _Eragon replied. Continuing out loud, he said "She only did that once, after which she said that I better come up with another way to ignite stuff."

"Hey, I happen to know that Ronon usually spends his time in the gym. Wanna spar against him?"

Eragon had noted the strength of the smelly warrior, and had wanted to spar with him almost from the start. "Sure. But will he spar with me?"

"Ronon? He would be more likely to ask you to spar with him that to refuse a challenge. Come on."

As they turned for the door a mental roar made them duck just as Amaranth gave a huge belch and fire sizzled out of her nose dotting the floor and Eragon's shoulder. Ajax's eyes bugged and he stomped the fire out quickly as Eragon patted his arm. Amaranth rubbed her nose with her paw, her eyes nearly as wide as her Rider's. Then she fell off the counter snorting in laughter.

"Not very lady like is she?" Ajax said, prodding Eragon with his elbow. Eragon laughed. "Just wait until you see Saphira on mead. Scary stuff."

The two riders exited the room, both laughing, and the rust-red doors groaned closed behind them.

_So in reality, my excuse for being late is that my internet is acting all shitty again, and I can't get a damn thing done on the internet because the connection is shit and the speed is even worse. So, that's my rant for this chapter, Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I'm stuck in crazy permanently, but it's a good crazy, not the bad type that would haul off and shoot someone for the heck of it. As for the space battle, I looked up an ass-load of terminology, watched an ass-load of shows, and then threw the whole kit and kaboodle into the blender. I'm very happy to report that I broke Mom's blender doing that. I'm glad I was able to whip up a WH40K style space battle without all those massive sounding weapons. Wait a minute, doesn't that mean that I wrote a better battle than the authors of WH40K?_

_Avenging Angels did a great job, as usual, taking this fic from 'standard definition' to 'high definition' in your you tube viewer. Oh, wait. This isn't you tube. Oh well, when we read, we can 'see' what's going on, right?_


	25. Moving Forward

_All right, my readers are hounding me have shit start hitting the fan, so here goes. I'm going to have to progress time a bit faster than average, so YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! I'm sorry for being late, but I had a massive virus on my machine, and I didn't dare do anything that could jeopardize other computers. I did get rid of it relatively quickly considering the size of it, but it completely ruined what I had going._

It had been two weeks since Angel had picked up twelve Hives on long range sensors. All had been relatively quiet, and Dr. Wier was celebrating the fact that she wasn't having to deal with so much paperwork as before. No-body had been going off-world, and the Varden's takeover of the capital city went well. ARTs one and two had helped to deal with that situation, and Murtagh had finally turned himself in.

It was slowly getting quieter around Atlantis. Rumors were gaining strength that the eldest two of the winged children were 'together', and Wier was starting to believe it.

Max was slowly loosening up, as she began to realize that Q's gift was truly working out. The Flock wasn't in danger, and Angel's synaptic activity had not increased since the day that Dr. Beckett showed them the 81 on his screen.

Fang was slowly getting closer to Max, and he figured that within another two or three months, they would be walking down the isle. These were his thoughts, though he dared not speak them out loud.

Gazzy and Iggy had produced a ninety minute movie together, and it was good enough that the first person they had in to watch the footage thought that it was a professionally produced movie. It had been released to the population of Atlantis two days later and after many high fives the boys celebrated by flinging water balloons on a rather angry blue dragon...

Nudge was doing well with her fashion sketching ability, but had very nearly gotten into trouble with Saphira when she sketched Eragon with wings and signed the sketch. The only thing that saved the budding fashionita was the fact that Eragon decided that he actually liked the idea, and after some serious thinking about it, Saphira realized that she had been wishing that her Rider would fly on his own sometimes.

Ajax had left with Eragon, who, in his official capacity as leader of the Riders, had expressed intentions of delivering the full Rider's tutelage to Ajax and Murtagh, as well as their dragons.

Angel was helping McKay to figure out most of the stuff found in various areas of the city, as well as helping to explore what little of the city was left.

McKay was in his element, ordering his minions around, but his orders seemed to bounce right off of Angel unless she thought it was a good idea, like getting out of the way of something falling, but she was like a cat for the most part. She'd clearly learned well from her leader.

Sheppard was reading War and Peace, or hitting golf balls into the water, or wandering through the city, each in it's turn, whenever he felt like it. His 'paper-shoving', as he liked to call it, was caught up, so he rested for the time being.

Teyla practiced with her rods, finding Max and Fang to be very good students, and in the times when she was not teaching, she was meditating.

Ronon, however, was another story.

"Come in." Dr Wier said, not looking up from her tablet computer.

The Setedan walked in, and sat down on one of the chairs in front of Wier's desk.

Dr. Wier put her computer aside. "Now, what was it you wanted, Ronon?" she asked with just a hint of a smile.

"We need to start sending teams off-world again." Ronon rumbled quietly.

"Really?" The corners of her mouth pulled upwards slightly. "And who do you suggest I send through the 'gate?"

"Anyone, so long as I'm one of them. Look, it's safe here. I haven't had a thing to do except spar, and nobody wants to spar with me much anymore." Ronon stated this as if he didn't know why this was happening. Dr. Wier grinned inwardly.

"Very well, I will send Sheppard's team off-world. I suppose we do need information about the outside galaxy." Dr. Wier turned back to her tablet in a clear dismissal.

Ronon knew the gesture too well, and knowing that nothing more would be said, left. He liked the way Dr. Wier didn't beat about the bush very much, but he admired Sheppard for his scything sarcasm when under pressure. He could count on Sheppard finding something to say to infuriate his captors, and Sheppard usually came through. He sighed, then went for a run on his typical course, where he would run with Sheppard in the mornings.

As he pounded along his course, a girl, about 17 years old, came out of one of the side halls, and joined him on his run, accompanied by a black clad boy about the same age.

"What do you want?" he rumbled, not stopping.

"We wanted to go off-world with you next time you go through the 'gate." Max replied.

Ronon briefly wondered at how she knew he was planning to go off-world but kept his question to himself. He knew that the bird kids, or Flock, as they liked to be called, were unique.

"I don't know if Sheppard would approve the idea of children on a mission." Ronon said. He really didn't want them along for the ride.

"Well then. We'll just have to ask him, won't we?" Max retorted smugly. She swerved into a side corridor, Fang following closely. Ronon pounded on.

Ajax:

"Go to the glade I showed you yesterday, and sit until you find no more." Eragon said to Ajax. "Later, you will be practicing your swordplay with Fredric. Go." As Ajax left, Eragon began working with Murtagh.

Not finding sense in what Eragon had said, Ajax attempted to pick it apart, word by word, and decipher the meaning.

Eventually, he gave up, and directing his mental energies into a ray, began a sweep with a slowly lengthening radius. After the third rotation, he began brushing against the minds of Eragon and Murtagh, as well as the dragons that were conversing nearby. His link with Amaranth had been left 'open' so that thoughts, images, and sounds filtered through the link. Saphira had decided that it was time for a 'riderless' aerial combat practice, and Ajax felt Amaranth drawing from his mind, looking for tactics that could give her an edge.

Top Gun had been stuck in his mind for the past few days, and he presented her with moving images from the movie. He felt her thankfulness, then she withdrew somewhat, focusing more on the aerial combat practice.

As soon as the dragons were at a suitable level, Saphira began the exercise.

Amaranth's immediate response was to invert, and dive for the forest floor, forcing Saphira and Thorn to follow her down. Due to their greater bulk, she was able to reverse directions, and begin ascending almost at once, something they could not. They shot past her, and she beat her wings hard to chase after Thorn. Murtagh had not removed the ornate travel saddle from Thorn's back, and Amaranth latched on to this, deciding what to do with her quarry.

Thorn gave a signal to Saphira, and she slid down, looking for Amaranth. Finding the green speck on Thorn's saddle, she laughed before preparing to capture the tiny dragon. Amaranth looked up in time to see a flying blue mountain stretching it's claws towards her position. She squeaked out a protest before abandoning her perch on Thorn's saddle. Saphira stopped descending towards Thorn, and he dipped somewhat, so as to clear Saphira's range.

Amaranth refused to be deterred from her target, so she landed on Thorn's snout, and used her claws to latch on to the red dragon. She was facing the same way as he was, so her tail was constantly twitching in his field of vision. He roared with frustration, his fire would not affect her, and moving his head so that he could use his leg to pry her off would have proven to be disastrous.

Digging in a little more, so as to assure a firm grip, Amaranth placed her from paw over Thorn's nostrils. The red dragon couldn't do anything, and he felt quite silly to be in this position, beaten by a hatchling.

_"Dead." _She proclaimed.

Thorn grunted, but descended. Amaranth released her grip, and searched for Saphira. Through her still-open link with Ajax, she found Saphira directly above her, and descending fast. Opting for fighter pilot style tactics, she spun clockwise in a straight dive for the ground. A moment later, she pulled out of the dive, going in the opposite direction to Saphira.

Saphira knew she would need some serious flying to outdo the hatchling due to the size difference.

On the ground, Thorn looked sadly at his rider.

_"I am sorry to have shamed you by allowing myself to be defeated by that hatchling." _He said.

Murtagh responded out loud. "There's noting to be sorry for. She beat you because she had the advantage in the air. If she was as big as you are, you'd have gotten her without a problem."

_"HATCHLING!" _Saphira yelled out.

_"Yes, mistress?" _Amaranth asked politely.

If Saphira was human, a headdesk would have been appropriate. She was not a human, though, but a dragon, and as a proud representative of her race, she would deal with this in her own way. Once, twice, three times she violently shook her head, but the impudent dragon on her snout held on, twitching her tail in Saphira's eyes. Amaranth moved for the 'kill', and Eragon looked on in concern.

"You know, if it was completely up to me, I would be up there right now, helping her." Eragon said, looking at the combatants.

_"Would you get yourself up here Eragon?" _Saphira said, annoyed to no end. Her voice was enough to convince Eragon, and he really didn't want to get her angry. _"This, this hatchling" _here she stressed the word. _"Is becoming more and more of a pain." _Eragon jumped into the air, and moved to land on Saphira to pry off the tiny dragoness. Before he could though, Amaranth had counted to three with her paws over Saphira's nostrils.

_"Dead." _she stated simply. A moment later, she released Saphira, and dove off and to the side. Saphira moved to pursue, but Eragon's hand on her shoulder gave her pause.

_"Eragon?" _her voice was deceptively and dangerously quiet. _"Should I take this to mean that you are siding with her?"_

_"Actually, yes I am. She did win the exercise fairly, did she not? The fact that your pride was damaged in the process is not something you should punish her for." _Eragon responded.

_"Dammit Eragon, I wish you wouldn't use that elven logic on me like that, it makes a situation like this even less palatable."_

_"Now you look here. You are a dragon, yes? Dragons are a proud and noble race, yes? To punish Amaranth for merely wounding your pride by following your instructions is neither a noble nor a proud action." _Eragon responded. Through his link, he felt her subside.

_"Fine, but I'll never attempt to engage her in aerial combat ever again." _Saphira muttered, thoroughly annoyed. Eragon let it slide, unwilling to antagonize her further.

On the ground, Murtagh was talking with Thorn, and both were wondering why he had wings. In all their previous encounters, Eragon had not shown even the slightest hint of having wings.

In the clearing of trees, Ajax's eyes shot open, and he charged out of the thick ring of trees that had been specifically grown by Eragon for the purposes of meditation.

"Eragon? You know those human predator things that you and your cousin think you exterminated?" Ajax paused to take a breath. "I was 'sweeping', and I found no less than eight psychic blanks. I've discovered that due to the nature of the blanks, it's possible to detect something there, kind of like the same method that McKay used to detect cloaked ships. They were poorly cloaked, and while we couldn't see them, we couldn't see anything behind them either. It's the same with these buggers. They were about halfway between me and the limits of my range. The way I found them was through the energy halos around them from everything behind and around them, but I couldn't quite pick them up."

"I see. Well, can you pinpoint them?" Eragon asked, unsettled by the presence of these beasts once again.

"Yeah, they are grouped together towards the south, and moving directly away from us." Ajax paused, thinking. Before he had noticed them, his continuous sweep was picking up Lady Nasuada on each pass.

"Oh, Schitt. Lady Nasuada could be their target, and when they find that she's untouchable, they'll just take the people nearby. This could have been a trap set by Galbatorix before he died."

"Well, I don't want those monstrosities feasting on anybody." Eragon stated his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Grab your weapons, we're taking those things down."

Murtagh grabbed Zar'roc from his gear, and Eragon once more felt a pang from Murtagh's betrayal earlier. Even though it was behind him, and he had a sword of his very own, it still was unsettling to see Murtagh with a weapon that he had once called his own.

Ajax picked up his weapons, but decided to bundle them together and chucked them to the side, where few, if any people would notice them.

Eragon looked questioningly at Ajax. "Why are you not taking your weapons?"

"I'm gonna make like a Harrier jump jet, and scoot." Ajax replied. "They won't know what hit 'em."

"A what?"

"Harrier jump jet. It's a warplane with exceptional aerobatic abilities." So saying, Ajax changed to the aircraft in question, and with an increase to the screaming whistle that seemed to come with the aircraft, lifted off from the ground before beginning to go forwards at a rapidly increasing rate of speed.

As the aircraft shot towards the targets, Eragon drew his bow, and released a total of six arrows towards the vile creatures that were moving toward the city.

A bright spot of flame appeared under the wing of the screaming craft, and a moment later, the seventh Razac was killed by an explosion at his back. At this point, the eighth was aware of his situation, and began spewing his poisonous breath towards the aircraft.

"Yeah, right, 'cause breathing against an aircraft has always done so much against them before." Ajax thought sarcastically. He slowed to a stop, hovering in place, then changed to an Apache Longbow helicopter. The weapon mounted under the nose twitched, and the eighth monster was felled by a drawn out stream of gunfire.

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: The 'Mirror, mirror' reference can just go be a plot hole and DIE. As for the shit…I'm working on it, but I still need to poke a stick into the hornet's nest before I can have real shit. And as for your comment than 'NOTHING beats a Nova cannon', you would be quite wrong about that. Nothing beats a Novalith cannon. Mwa._

_To Avenging Angels, thanks again for making this chapter better than before. I'm not sure what I would do without the help you've given to this story. I'm not old enough to 'boost' myself yet, so…never mind._


	26. The Borg Threaten

_Right, so I got distracted with my other fic, and things have been…interesting. My updates may take longer, but look on the bright side, I'm not dead yet!_

"I would like to take one of those things back with me to Atlantis, if I may." Ajax said, nudging one of the Ra'zac with his foot. The black clothed creature lay at the Riders' feet were it had fallen, dead by Eragon's sword.

"Why on Earth would you want to do that?" Eragon asked, wondering why anyone in their right mind would actually _want_ to take one of these things into his home.

"Because if I take it in, the good Doc can tell me some things about it, maybe even find out what all this creature does." Ajax responded. He glanced at Eragon and shrugged. "To be quite honest, I don't like the thing any more than you do, but I need more information about it before we just get rid of it."

_Voyager:_

"What's black and green in the shape of a cube?" Angel asked. She had seen a cube drop out of a transwarp conduit, and had never known the Borg before.

Everyone on the bridge stiffened, then Captain Janeway turned in her seat to look at the innocent looking eight year old. "They are the Borg, a collection of mindless persons who have had nearly half of their bodies replaced with cybernetic implants. They will assimilate everything in their path if they can, and they adapt very quickly to every means of defense." She said, her expression barely concealing the fear she felt rising.

Peeking into the minds of varying crew members, Angel found things close to the surface about the Borg.

Turning to Seven of Nine, she said, "You were with the Borg, until Captain Janeway severed you from the Collective? Did I say it right?"

"Yes." Seven responded. "I was Borg. I still have many Borg implants embedded in me, but I no longer answer to the Collective. I answer to Captain Janeway." The ex-Borg returned to her work.

"Why did you ask, Angel?" asked Chakotay, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Because I just caught a glimpse of a Borg cube on long range sensors, and it's headed this way." Her announcement had an effect akin to dumping ice cold water down everyone's back.

After a moment of consternation, the bridge came alive, and the Voyager crew did what they do best: brace for the worst, and prepare a solution to get rid of it.

Angel's wings twitched as she watched the goings-on, and after a moment, she turned and entered the turbo lift.

The doors closed behind her, and she fought a moment of panic before she realized how to operate the lift. "Sickbay." She stated, and the turbo lift began moving.

_Voyager Sickbay:_

The holographic Doctor was moving about sickbay, singing yet another one of his operatic selections as he put away hyposprays, medical tricorders and the like. It was something of a surprise to him then, when the doors to sickbay hissed open, and Angel stepped in.

"Hello, I didn't realize you were going to stop by. How can I help you?" he asked, smiling. Angel stepped down into the sickbay and glanced around for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Then she said, "I knew that you were curious about our physicology, and thought maybe you'd like to see for yourself."

"It's 'physiology', and no, I wouldn't mind, I just don't want to force the issue unless it's life or death. Forcing patients to go through something that is related to trauma in their past when it's not necessary, well, it's unethical."

Angel spread her wings, ignoring the Doctor's worries, and the he used his holographic camera to take a picture. He then called up the picture, one level at a time, while Angel watched.

"This bone structure is amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" the Doctor said, thoroughly awestruck.

Angel leaned in for a closer look. "So…what is it that you're seeing?" she asked, clueless.

"These bones are very strong, even stronger than normal human bones, yet they're made of a very lightweight material, and the bones are hollow. This is completely unprecedented!" Angel left while the Doctor was busy, and found a room that was empty.

"Computer." she said. It bleeped in response, waiting for her orders. "Show all information on the Borg." As she was currently in astrometrics, the data began scrolling across the large star chart screen. Angel leaned closer and began to read.

_Max's Quarters, Atlantis:_

Max and Fang were laying down on Max's bed together, exhausted after a hot and heavy 'cuddling' session. Atlantis had sealed the doors and communications so that they would be uninterrupted by unwanted intrusions. She found that with Angel's memories, she knew much more about these odd people with wings…their histories, likes, dislikes, everything. Knowing that Max and Fang didn't like to be interrupted by other people when they were making out, she had arranged for them to have complete privacy until they finished.

McKay was furious. He needed to see how many of the new arrivals had the ATA gene, and these two were the last ones he needed to check. He knew that Angel was ATA positive, after the city had taken her through the 'Joiner' project, he knew that Angel could activate anything she wanted, whenever she wanted.

Right now though, he wanted to see Max and Fang about this. In order to do that, he would have to get in, and that would take some doing. Atlantis had locked him out of their room, so he pried the crystal cover off, set it aside, and swapped some crystals around.

Atlantis knew about this weakness in her door system, it was built that way so that if the system wasn't working right, someone could still use the door if they knew what they were doing. This time, though, McKay was not going to succeed.

He flipped a crystal around, and pulled out another. He was just about to insert the crystals again when the whole tray powered down.

Max and Fang heard McKay on the other side of the door, muttering to himself about some anomaly or another. They went to the window, and Max began looking for a way to get the windows open. A moment later, Fang was beside her, and looking around as well. One of the windows jerked slightly as it began to move. It moved out of it's frame, and then slid to the left, jerking once again as the mechanism that moved it stopped abruptly.

They were in the middle of one of the outlying towers, so there was enough space for Max and Fang to stabilize in the air before hitting the deck. The window closed behind them after Fang jumped off; spreading his obsidian wings and beating down in rhythm with Max's as they soared downwards..

As soon as it was closed, the crystal trays at the door lit up again. McKay had put the crystals back in their normal places when the mechanism lit up again. This time, when he passed his hand over the tray, the door groaned open to reveal…nothing. Max and Fang were gone.

_So…Answers to Readers!_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Yes, they are alien, but I have yet to show everyone exactly how. Although it may already be quite obvious to some._

_/End Answers to Readers!_

_It has come to my attention that the following people have tagged my story for an alert:_

_Greeny17, blade 1108, Reaper74Kill, Pthor._

_I have yet to see a single review from any of you, and I'm calling you out on it! So, you can start by reviewing this chapter, and I'll see about making more chapters for your enjoyment._

_Also, thanks to Avenging Angels, who is assisting me in making this story great. Or…at least better than average._

_Good day to you all, and please remember that my brother is a ninja._

_Yo! Avenging Angels here! So, I just wanted to say hey seeing as it's been a while. (Coughs and glares over her shoulder at HR) But now that we're back in action I just wanted to invite all of you to press that pretty little button at the bottom of the screen. I think Hideout Writer asks too nicely. So I am hereby demanding reviews!_

_Fight on,_

_Avenging Angels_

_ Review Here_

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	27. Unity

Well, somehow, I managed to get back here. Am very sorry to those of you who have been eagerly awaiting this, but like I said before, I've been busy with another story, Maximum MacGyver. It was an idea of my own but has several characteristics of a plot bunny. **** plot bunnies! Anyway, review, and I might update again soon!

_Voyager's Bridge:_

"Captain, the Borg vessel is hailing us!" Ensign Kim called. He was more nervous than a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs about the Borg, and didn't want to be around them any more than was absolutely necessary. The mere mention of them was enough to send ice flooding through his veins. He was afraid, not just concerned.

"Tuvok? Are they charging weapons?" Janeway asked. She was mentally preparing for the impending battle, going over possible situations gone wrong and probable outcomes, but wondered why on Earth the Borg would hail them, with weapons not charged of all things!

"They have yet to charge weapons, Captain." the Vulcan replied.

"Onscreen, Mister Kim. Let's see what they want." The computer bleeped, and the familiar visage of a Borg drone greeted their eyes.

"We are the Unity. Do you wish to join our Collective?" the drone said, it's mechanical voice echoing loudly across the Bridge. Captain Kathryn Janeway was, for the first time in her dealings with the Borg, completely speechless. Chakotay spoke up for her. "You mean we have a choice?" he asked, keeping his tone cautious yet calm.

"All sentient life should be allowed to choose for themselves." the drone replied. Somehow, to the members of the bridge crew, this particular drone seemed more human than those they held experience with prior.

"What is your name?" Chakotay asked, turning his attention back to the drone. "I am Thor, and I am the leader of this ship, Hammer's Fall." came the mechanical response.

"I see. What would happen if we were to accept?" Chakotay, continuing with his intel-gathering, asked. "You would be given the implants required to regenerate, everything else would be by your choice." Thor replied. He heaved a sigh that somehow gave the impression of a wise man. "If you choose not to join us, I will understand perfectly."

"We need some time to think about this." Janeway said hurriedly, her mind racing. "I need to think this over, and do what I think is best."

"I understand, of course. You will do what you perceive as the best for your collective, ensuring their well-being. I will hail you in thirty Earth minutes." There was a tone, and Thor's face disappeared.

"Seven? What can you tell us about this 'Unity'?" The captain made air quote around Unity, just for emphasis. Her face was hard and her fingers drummed nervously across the rest of her seat as she looked at Seven.

"I know very little about the Unity." Seven replied, clasping her hands behind her back as she returned the Captain's serious gaze. "I do know that they do no assimilate, but rather recruit members into their collective. They have no queen, and are connected the same way the Borg are. Their hierarchy is unknown at this time. According to the information the Borg has on the Unity, the idea of individualism is preserved, despite the sub-space link that all members have with each other." After Seven's dispassionate speech, she returned to her console, and resumed her work. As far as she was concerned, this was not a matter which effected her personally.

"Well, Chakotay? Should we even seriously consider this?" Janeway asked "Or is the idea just a bit too preposterous even for us?"

"We've seen stranger." Chakotay smiled, shrugging his shoulders at her.

_Atlantis' control room:_

"Ma'am?" Chuck asked "Ma'am?" He asked a little louder. This he was time leaning back toward Dr. Weir's office a little bit.

"Yes?"

"There's a ship on the long-range…you might want to see this." Chuck said. He was just a 'gate technician, supposed to receive IDC's and lower the shield when someone called his 'gate. Identifying ships on the shadowy long-range sensor screen wasn't his forte. Despite that, the shape seemed all wrong, and it didn't sit well with him.

"Dr. McKay, this is Chuck, Stargate operations, I'm willing to bet Dr. Wier is going to call you very soon if she hasn't already. We spotted a rather odd ship on long range."

{"WHAT? What does it look like?"} came the hurried response.

"Uh, it kinda looks like someone made a huge six sided die and sent it through space. Why?" Chuck asked. McKay's response was disturbing at best.

"I didn't think they even existed. Although I should have expected it with Voyager here." McKay said, shocked.

"Just what are you saying, Dr. McKay?" Dr. Wier asked over the radio, her suspicion rising.

"Have you ever seen Star Trek? That ship is a Borg cube if I remember anything at all about anything I've ever watched. I'm on my way to the control tower now. Tell Sheppard to warm up the Chair, and think fast."

"Aren't the Borg those people that could adapt to any weapon used?" Dr. Weir queried.

"Yes. But I'm willing to bet they've never encountered anything like our drones, and I'm reasonably sure that we could probably destroy their Cube before they have a chance to assimilate us." McKay said. He was hoping to look courageous in the face of danger, but his voice gave him away.

"We don't stand a chance, do we?" Dr. Weir said. It was phrased as a question, but sounded more like a statement.

"Unlike the times when the Wraith threatened us, or that time the Genii tried to take over the city, I have absolutely no clue on how to get rid of them." McKay said, nervousness breaking through at last. His 'look courageous in the face of danger' gambit had failed, and he was getting worked up into one of his infamous tizzies again. "We are, without a doubt, doomed, and there is NOTHING I can do about it! WE. ARE. SCREWED!"

From the base of the center staircase of the Gate Room, came the voice of a rather innocent looking eight year old girl.

"What's all this shouting about the Borg?" Angel asked.

Dr. Wier descended the great staircase, and knelt to Angel's level. "From what Dr. McKay tells me, there is a Borg Cube on it's way here, and there's nothing we can do about it. Now, switching subjects completely, how was your tour of Voyager?" Poor Dr. Wier was doing her best to tell Angel the truth, but keep her from getting freaked out about it. Not that it mattered with Angel, if the good doctor had bothered to lie to protect the little girl, it would have been in vain for Angel's gift of mind reading.

"The crew was really nice to me, but they got really busy on the bridge just before I left." Angel said, using her matter of fact tone which told the doctor she knew all too well what she was doing.

"Oh? Why was that?" Dr. Wier asked, playing along yet trying to stem her curiosity. Voyager wasn't supposed to be taking up orbit until three days from now.

"Oh, I asked them about the Cube, because I had seen it on long range sensors." Angel stated.

Dr. Wier blinked. Then she blinked again. Standing up, she went over to McKay, who was on his way to the nearest transporter. "McKay? Did you know that Angel was tapped into the city?"

"Yes, I knew that she was tapped in to most of the key systems, I thought Carson told you, or maybe Max?" McKay asked. "Look, I really do enjoy talking with you, but I have to get to my lab, and see if maybe I can find a way to save this city!" The last exclamation came out a little more forceful than he had intended, and after a glance at Dr. Wier's face, he deflated slightly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that, but I am serious. I am, most likely, this city's best hope at surviving, and Atlantis won't be around much longer if I don't do something. On the other hand, it might not matter." McKay muttered the last part, and Dr. Wier knew that his devotion to the city ran deeper than he really let on.

"I can help you find ways to push them back if you'd like." Angel said sweetly. She was closer to McKay and Dr. Wier than anyone else was, and had heard what they were discussing.

"Well, we could set the shields to rotating harmonics; could we do the same with the drones?" McKay asked. Dr. Wier sighed, and went back to her office. She might not be around much longer, but she still had paperwork to do. Angel and Dr. McKay went to his lab, and began working out solutions to the problem. They were destined to be awake through the night.

_Alagaesian Mainland:_

Ajax had a Jumper with him, and although it went against everything that his instincts were for, and everything that Eragon, Saphira or Amaranth accepted, he had placed a dead Ra'zac body in a body bag before putting it in the Jumper.

"You're certain you want to do this?" Eragon asked. His face showed just how disgusted he felt about the whole thing.

"Unfortunately, I feel I must. I'm as disgusted by these creatures as you are. On the other hand, it may be necessary. I need to know what this thing is, from the inside out." Ajax explained. "You're welcome to join me if you wish." Ajax came so close to sounding hopeful that Eragon joined him.

"Fine." he said, releasing a deep sigh. "I will join you."

While Eragon had been talking, and Ajax had been securing the dead body, Amaranth had darted past them, and jumped up onto the dash, imitating a cat rather well as she slunk along with her tail flicking back and forth. As soon as she had securely reached her point, she began grooming herself.

Ajax cinched the final ratchet strap down, and hit the button for the door. As the rear door was closing, he walked into the forward section, and closed the middle door. "Ready?" he asked, sitting down.

"Are you sure this thing is going to work? I've never flown with anybody or anything other than Saphira." Eragon said, glancing outside the glass as Saphira looked on. Her deep blue wings were spread out and her tail whipped back and forth irritated. Like her Rider, she was uneasy with this change of events but respected his choice. That didn't mean she had to completely agree though.

"It'll be fine, but if you want, I'll turn the inertial damper all the way up. It'll feel like flying a stick of butter, but it will be the smoothest ride you've ever had."

"No, just fly like normal." Eragon said. "I need to learn to fly without Saphira when it's necessary."

_"Oh, finding a replacement for me are you?" _Saphira asked, anger seeping in her 'voice'.

_"No, just learning do deal with alternatives when I need to." _Eragon thought back.

_"Uh-huh. Riiiiiiiiight."_

_"Honest!"_

_"I'm just teasing, Eragon. You know, and I know, that you will never find someone who understands you the way I do. I understand perfectly what you are doing, and I want you to know that I'll be flying nearby." _Saphira's comforting speech had it's intended effect, and Eragon calmed noticeably.

"Ebrithil, you must have been just shy of scared stiff about this thing. It'll be fine. All the same, I recommend that you grab hold of something."

"Why?" Eragon asked, suddenly nervous again.

"I never use the inertial dampers, just because I actually like to feel how I'm flying." Ajax said. The twin brother of an evil smile was on Ajax's face, and Amaranth suddenly chose to find a seat, and buckle in. Maybe more accurately, she was having her rider strap her in with the special jumper harness that had been presented to Ajax by the mermaid trio.

With that done, Ajax tapped three crystals in succession, and then accelerated hard out of the area.

"Whoa! Warn me first before you pull something like that!" Eragon cried, stumbling into a seat as he fell back.

"Yes, Ebrithil. Here's your warning that I'm about to go vertical. You should tell Saphira to just fly to Atlantis. I'm going out to space, and I bet she can't breathe out there."

Moments after his announcement, Ajax hauled back as far as the tiny control arm would go. The Jumper pointed it's blunt nose to the sky, and swiftly gained altitude. In the seat behind Ajax, Amaranth yawned, row after row of gleaming teeth being exposed before her cute pink little tongue curled at the tip, and she closed her mouth with a snik as her teeth connected with each other.

Eragon glanced back at her, but she was already asleep. "How is it that I am as frightened as a rabbit, and she's calmly sleeping?" Eragon wondered out loud.

"Three reasons." Ajax said. "Leveling off, there's your warning. The first is that she's bonded with me, the second is that she's done this before, and the third is that she's already figured out the idea of maintaining a mental link with me. Want a bagel?"

"Huh?" Eragon asked intelligently. "What's a bagel?"

"Uh…"Ajax face palmed. "I forgot to tell you about bagels. It's a round piece of bread, with a hole in the center. Here." a plastic package crinkled as he passed it to Eragon. "Those are bagels. You can have one if you like."

An alarm went off in the cockpit, and Ajax looked around wildly, trying to pinpoint the source.

"Is that bad?" Eragon asked. They were far higher than Saphira had ever gone, and if this metal tube returned to earth in a catastrophic manner, there would be nothing that could be done to prevent it.

"No…I don't think it's bad." Ajax said, still looking ahead. "Ah! There it is. It seems to be a proximity alert of sorts. I bet Angel put it in after some experience with Voyager. She's the only one with the information to do so while keeping it so natural."

Ajax brought up the HUD, and peered at it critically. "What in the world?"

"What? What is it?"

"Ebrithil, you are very nervous. There is no reason to be nervous, as this craft is very safe and stable, provided it has not taken any damage. Please, for my sake, try to calm down. The proximity alert is for other ships, so I'm not blindsided by another ship suddenly appearing in the Head's Up."

"Oh." Eragon was silent for several seconds, then "What is that thing? I've never seen anything like it."

"It's your warning that I'm making for the deck now." Ajax said. "That's a Cube, and I've never heard good things about them. I'm getting out of here."

A crystal sequence was entered, and the Jumper shot towards the ground faster than it had left. Ajax reached for a flat dial, and twisted it hard clockwise. The ride smoothed considerably, and Ajax removed his hand from the dial.

"Inertial dampers." he said. A moment later, he executed a barrel roll to the left, dodging an imagined threat. Surprisingly, there was no Borg hail, no shots fired, and no tractor beam. There wasn't even a drone or two beamed to the Jumper. Ajax slowed his speed on the approach, and the doors opened ahead of him.

"Atlantis base, this is Jumper Seven, requesting landing clearance. We have a dead body for investigation by the good Dr. Beckett."

"This is Atlantis base, you are cleared for landing, Jumper Seven. Did you say dead body?"

_Ending it here, because I don't have anything more to add to this chapter without making it sound stodgy. Eh, what the heck, it probably sounds stodgy anyway. I've come to an understanding with 'Ye Olde Muse', essentially freeing me to work on this story…provided I deal with the one it wants, 'Maximum MacGyver'. It's a MR/MacGyver crossover, and aside from the spiritual element that has been so heavily written into it, it is a pure crossover, meaning it's just MacGyver and MR. Anyways, I seem to recall shouting at those who put alerts on my story. I checked the reviews, leading me to…_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Yes, Writer's Block blindsided me, but not the way you'd expect. (See above part about Maximum MacGyver) I'd say it's more of a Plot Bunny than true writer's block._

_Ninthfeather: I do apologize for having it feel rushed, that happens sometimes. The cast…eh, what can I say? I allowed one in, and everyone else came rushing in until I slammed the door closed. Just be glad I didn't bring in G-Nome or Sins of a Solar Empire. I attempt to do my best with the cast, and that's why they disappear and reappear. Try to remember that this is, strictly speaking, SGA/IC. Anything beyond is bonus points. The only reason the worlds blend so well is because I only have two technical worlds, SGA and IC. Everything else is interacting with that environment accordingly. After Avenging Angels showed up, she began to assist with the character interactions, as well as 'airbrushing' my descriptions so people could 'see' more into this odd little world I've put together. Q and Max is a tough thing to handle, as each of them are kind of at each other's throats, but can't actually go for it because of restrictions. The Continuum would destroy Q if he acted too strongly against Max, and Q would destroy Max if she moved to strongly against Q. The idea with Ajax was for him to be in the limelight enough to be considered a main character, but not so much the story rides on him entirely. The H2O thing was just a random idea that I threw in. I didn't watch it religiously, but did get enough of it to have 'operating knowledge' on most of the stuff, boyfriends not included. …Wow, long answer!_

_Avenging Angels, do you have anything to add?_

_Yo! Avenging Angels here! So, I have been slacking on my beta duties which I apologize for. I am back now and since the Ga graduation test is done with (stupid school people) I have more free time to read and write. So, I'm officially back and ready to go. lol_

_I guess all that's left to say if thanks for being patient Hideout Writer and all of the people who read this awesome fic and review it. I promise to keep with the program now that I've got free time. It was just a bit too hectic updating my own stories, my job, school, tests and sports. I'm managing it now. Let's git'r done!_

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_

_Hideout Writer here again. For those of you who reviewed the previous iteration of this chapter, you can feel free to review it anonymously for a second go around. I will answer any 'unverified' reviews that show up from this chapter in the next chapter, so…review if you haven't already, and if you have already reviewed, you made my day then, could you not sign in and then make my day again? LOL._


	28. Plans and Morgan Le Fay

_A/N: So here's what happened. I finished chapter 27 and sent it to the best beta reader I know, Avenging Angels. The fact that she's the only beta reader I know shouldn't affect how you look at that at all. Either way, there were issues on her end of the line, which I won't go into, but the result was waiting a little longer than usual to post. Now that the beta'd chapter is up, I can bring you the next chapter. Ladies and Gentlemen, from the messy bedroom of some American teenager with a laptop, I present to you…chapter 28. I should stop rambling._

_DISCLAIMER! There are names I don't know the true spelling of, so I spelled them the way I heard them. If someone gives me the real names in a Private Message, I will edit it to reflect the correct spelling, but what's there will have to do for now._

_Atlantis' Sickbay:_

"And just who do ya think ye are, cartin' dead bodies around like cargo?" Dr. Beckett asked, his arms stiff by his side. He was a little worked up about Ajax bringing dead bodies into his clean sickbay just because he could. Or, thought he could.

"I need an autopsy on this thing. The locals call it a Ra'zac, and when a few of them attacked us, I slashed this one dead. Can you find out how this thing works?" Ajax asked, not paying attention to the vein popping out of Beckett's head.

Still, curiosity got the best of him and he moved closer to peer at the strange creature.

"Aye, I can look into it, but try not to make this a regular occurrence, okay lad?" Beckett responded, peering at Ajax through narrowed eyes. Ajax smiled wryly. "I won't make a habit of it." he promised.

"How is that little green dragon of yours? I haven't seen her around recently." Carson noted, completely switching topics.

Ajax followed the bait.

"Cheeky as ever. She's pissed off Saphira three times this week, and then weaseled her way out of it by pointing out that she was doing as she was told to do. She nearly got me and Eragon involved in one of their scuffles, and I don't particularly feel like going against Saphira or Eragon, especially when one of them has teeth as big as my arm. Anyways, I'm headed for the mess hall. Care to join me for lunch?"

As the two men walked, Carson filled Ajax in on the goings-on in Atlantis.

"…so did ye hear the latest about Max and Fang?"

"…No…what's up with them?" Ajax asked, confused. He had to walk faster to keep pace with the Doctor.

"They'll be getting married! They've been thinking about it for some time now, but with you and Eragon here, they decided that they want to go through with it."

Ajax nodded, knowing how the two had been inseparable the last time he'd seen them. Also based off what he knew of their past Max and Fang were destined to be together. Ajax couldn't picture a better pair. Whether they were fighting to the death or telling the kids (Gazzy) not to do something stupid they were always there for each other. With each other, they could do anything….

"Anybody new or any new equipment come in on the last shipment?"

"No…although the Odyssey came in a day ago, with SG-1. Apparently, the Ori have invaded the Milky Way galaxy, and SG-1 is looking to block the 'super gate' that the Ori ships are using. I don't completely understand the mechanics of it myself, but Dr. Jackson and a certain Vala Malderan are here."

"Oh?" Ajax remembered Dr. Jackson from his time at Stargate Command.

"Yes, there are looking in the Ancient database for some weapon to help them in the war. Oh, and you'll be pleased to note that Dr. McKay left with Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell."

"Oh boy. There's going to be trouble over that. Did Sheppard at least give Mitchell his lucky lemon?"

"His lucky what?"

The two rounded a corner, and found Max striding towards them. "I'm getting married!" she exclaimed. Had she been a girly-girl, she would have been squealing in delight about it, but she was not a girly-girl, so the exclamation was more like a predetermined event such as a picnic, with a bit more excitement sprinkled on top.

"Really? When are you two lovebirds getting hitched?" Ajax queried lightly. Max punched his arm playfully at his choice of words but she was smiling. "We actually haven't set a date, but we wanted to go with an older-style ceremony, and we wanted you to be the one to marry us."

Ajax blinked for several moments. "Me? You want me to marry you guys?"

"Sure, you're a Dragon Rider, aren't you?"

Ajax thought for a moment but couldn't deny it. Max blinked at him. "Alright, alright. I'll do it. Lemme get in touch with Dr. Jackson, he's a good friend of mine, and knows ancient history almost better than he knows his glasses."

"So he's a doctor of history?" Max said. Her distrust of this new name was fading, but still…

"Oh, yeah! He's an expert on Ancient technologies, and is here searching for something to help blow away the Ori."

"The Ori." Max's blunt statement left the question unasked.

Ajax nodded.

"Yep, that's what they call themselves. If you convert to their religion, and worship them, a trade occurs. You don't get killed by their Priors, and they get stronger for having been worshipped. The Ori derive the majority of their powers from their worshippers, and there's bad blood between them and the people who built this city, due to the fact that the Ori impose this religion on everyone they meet."

Max nodded, pretending that she understood more or less what was going on. Ajax wasn't sure whether she did or didn't, if she didn't, she sure fooled him.

When they got to the mess hall, it was nearly deserted. The Alpha shift had already cleared out, and it would be another half hour before the Beta shift would come in. Lunch was eaten around a discussion that never touched anything important, and Max managed to get Ajax to spew his iced tea twice during the meal over something she'd said. Fang had opened up more since coming to Atlantis, although he was still very reserved most of the time, except when it came to one subject.

"Black, anyone can wear it."

"No, no not anyone."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Noooooo."

"Yes."

"OMG SHUT UP FANG!" Nudge bellowed, throwing her tray across the table only to be deflected by Fang's own, empty, tray. With a snort Nudge stood up and stomped out of the mess hall with everyone's eyes on her. When she'd gone Max turned to Fang and said, "I think she's mad at you." To which Fang rolled his eyes in a very Maxish way and half smiled.

After lunch was finished, and the trays were cleared away, Ajax left to find the holographic archive, figuring that either Dr Jackson would be there, or the hologram could tell him where Daniel had gone.

The door opened, but Daniel and Vala were too absorbed in whatever they were doing to notice.

"We got what we came for." Vala said. Her campaign to take Daniel sightseeing around the city was failing thus far, but maybe now she would get her wish.

"I know…" Daniel was thinking hard. Something about that hologram seemed familiar.

"Well, shouldn't we be out there, telling someone?" Vala pressed, looking at him then back at the screen.

"Not yet…"

"Okay, well, she told us the names of the planets; they were right up there glowing in the ceiling. Taoth Vaclaroosh, and Valos-Cor. She even gave us the addresses, which means we could be out there somewhere overlooking Atlantis, toasting with exotic beverages." Vala seemed rather excited by the prospect, but even she was unable to break through Daniel's concentration. Ajax realized that if Jackson would ever find magic, it would be now.

"There's something else going on here." Daniel said, thinking.

"What?" If Vala was anything, it was direct. Regardless, Daniel placated her curiosity.

"Well…it shouldn't have worked." He looked meaningfully at Vala for a moment, then looked back at the hologram. "I mean, I didn't expect it to when I asked Elizabeth to try, but I thought there'd at least be some remnants, something that looked vaguely similar to the words Castiana and Sahal and their Ancient language counterparts."

"She wouldn't know?"

"I don't know. Explain this to me." he paused, turning to face her yet still not noticing Ajax.

"How can this database translate -in real time- a language which was spoken eight thousand years after the Ancients abandoned Atlantis?" Jackson knew he was on something big, and proceeded to follow up on it.

"That's a tough one." Vala said, thinking about it. Jackson turned his attention back to the hologram.

"Is there an archive or visual record of the Lantean citizens who fled to Earth?"

"There is." she responded.

"Display them for me. One at a time."

As the images flashed in and out of existence, Vala sighed again.

"Well, as exciting as it is to viewing the Atlantis family album…-" Jackson cut her off. "I'm looking for someone in particular."

The images cycled a few more times.

"Well, I don't know any ten-thousand year-old Ancients." Vala said. Just then, another image showed. "I take that back. We know him!" She stood up from her resting position at the base of the archive pedastal, and pressed a button.

The main hologram appeared again standing off to the left of the person being displayed. "Mauros was the last High Councilor of Atlantis." the hologram said.

"Mauros. Well, apart from the funny hat, he's a spitting image of Merlin, isn't he."

"You see, in Arthur's time, it was Myrdin. You see how a word can change over the centuries."

"I know where you're going!" Vala said, looking extremely pleased with herself. "You think that Merlin, or Myrdin, or whatever his name was, came back to Atlantis at some stage and hid these names here as clue for us to find."

Jackson had been nodding as if she was going in the right direction, but said. "No."

"No…" Vala repeated, confusion clouding her features.

The hologram broke into their conversation, the image of Mauros dissolving as she did so. "The first human to set foot in Atlantis after the city was abandoned was Dr. Elizabeth Wier, current leader of the Atlantis expedition."

"The first human to set foot in the city. What about ascended being?"

There was no response

"You're not really a hologram are you?" Jackson said, smiling. He knew what was going on, but still needed some confirmation.

The 'hologram' turned, and looked Jackson straight in the eye. "You have your answer Daniel Jackson, I suggest you act on it." she disappeared.

"I know you're still here." Daniel called out. "There's no point in hiding."

"Daniel, I don't think she coming back, especially if you shout at her." Vala pointed out, a small smile lining her lips.

"Oh, yes she is, she's gone this far, she's gonna finish what she started…you're not fooling anybody anymore!"

The door opened to show Dr. Wier. Dr Jackson didn't even notice, so intent was on finding the elusive 'hologram'.

"Dr. Jackson." she said, some surprise in her voice.

"Oh, hello." he said, not even bothering to look over his shoulder, then went back to searching the ceiling, as if there might be some clue there.

"Hi. Who you talking to?" she stepped fully into the room.

"Welll, I don't know what she's calling herself these days, but at one point in history her names was MORGAN LE FAY!" the last part was aimed at the ceiling again, Jackson's head whipping around as if to spot the 'hologram'.

Dr Wier looked askance at Dr. Jackson. "Morgan Le Fay was here?"

"Yes, posing as a hologram."

"Hm. May I?" She pointed at the control pedestal.

"Oh, yes." He cleared the deck as Dr Wier walked to the control pedestal. As soon as she stepped up, the pedestal lit up, and the 'hologram' reappeared.

"Hello." she said.

"That's her." Vala said, sure as the world about all this.

"You may enter your inquiry verbally, or by entering it-"

"You know you can drop the schoolteacher act." Jackson said.

"This is a computer-generated image of a Lantean woman who lived ten thousand years ago. I'm pretty familiar with the program, it hasn't changed." Dr Wier stated.

Dr Jackson's odd behavior disturbed her to a degree, but she tried not to show it. "Question: Who's image is your avatar based on, and what is the purpose of your program?

"I was created by Ganas Lal, in her image, for the purpose of assisting younger minds." she stated, her matter of fact tone evident.

Dr Wier looked across to Vala. "And what makes you think otherwise?

"Well for starters, she told us exactly what we needed to know."

"She did?"

"Uh-huh"

"Does this device have the capability to play back events from earlier in the session?"

"Yes."

"Can you play back the last sentence she said to me before she disappeared?" Jackson asked, thinking rapidly.

Once again, the hologram looked Jackson dead in the eye, and said "You have your answer, Daniel Jackson. I suggest you act on it." before returning to the neutral position.

"See? See! Her demeanor completely changed, she looked directly at Daniel, it was really creepy." Vala said, excited that she was right.

"Well, I did warn you that she could be patronizing." Dr Wier said, still not believing all this was happening.

"You said this device uses a lot of power." Daniel said. His theory was in place, but he needed one more piece to prove it all. "Is there any way of determining exactly how much?"

Dr. Wier nodded before calling on her radio. "Control room, this is Wier. I need you to access the power usage logs for the holo-room?"

"Yes ma'am." a moment later, "None."

"None?" Dr Wier asked. "Are you sure?"

"Well, the lights are on." the technition said. "Other than that…"

"Hey!" Vala said, snapping her fingers at the supposed hologram. "Got you."

Dr Wier turned towards Jackson. "I think I owe you an apology, Dr. Jackson."

"There's no need, Dr Wier." stated Ganas. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"You're an Ascended Ancient." Dr Wier said. She understood quite well the delicacy of the situation, but still wanted to talk with her.

"I am."

"Specifically, Morgan Le Fay. I thought I recognized you from the inscriptions in the archive on Veganbrae."

Ajax had quietly slipped back out while the door was open, determined to wait until Daniel finished whatever he was doing in there. After a few more minutes, a brighter light than that cast by the hologram shone through the door before fading away again. A moment later, Ajax stood up, as the three people inside were walking towards the door.

"…exactly what she knew would happen. She tried to interfere, and the others stopped her. We won't see her again." He heard Jackson say.

"Are they gonna punish her?" That was Vala's voice.

"I don't know."

"I think I understand why you came back, Daniel. I wouldn't have liked their company either." Vala remarked.

"Daniel! It's been a while! What have you been up to all this time?" Ajax exclaimed, pretending he hadn't seen or heard the recent events in the holo-room.

Daniel seemed slightly surprised to see him but brushed it off quickly. "Well, I've been running around with SG-1, helping translate stuff, assisting in the saving of the galaxy time and again." Jackson replied. "You?"

"Oh, I've had a lot happen to me since I left. I've become a Dragon Rider, so I'll probably send you a bunch of texts in the near future. I highly doubt I'll send the originals, but I'll copy them down, and send those to you. Anyways, in my official position as the Dragon Rider of Atlantis, Max and Fang want me to do an old style wedding ceremony for them, and I was wondering what sort of weddings you know about from ancient history."

"I guess I'll leave you to it." smiled Dr. Wier. "I have paperwork to deal with again."

Ajax and Dr. Jackson talked at length about ceremonies, and finally managed to find one that seemed appropriate.

"…we'd have to test the 'gate though, I'm not sure if that trick would work, otherwise we'll have to work up something else…" Ajax trailed off, thinking.

_Max's Quarters, Atlantis:_

The door chimed once, twice, then three times. It was a prearranged signal for the Flock members, and only used when they were alone. A moment later, there was a similar chime from the other side before the rust-colored door groaned open with a slight hiss.

"Yeah, what?" Max asked.

"I think I found a great idea for your wedding ceremony. Can I come in?"

"Sure. Where's Fang?" Max stood aside to allow Ajax entry.

"I don't know, I thought he was with me…he's in that stealth mode of his again, and sitting on your bed."

"How'd you know?" Fang asked, showing himself.

Ajax grinned. "Mental radar. Even though your mind is unusually protected, I can still feel your presence. It's like a tank. I can see the tank, I can't see the people inside it. Did I explain adequately? I ask because I had trouble explaining it to Jackson."

"So" Max said, waving her hand to gain his attention again. "You said you had a good marriage ceremony?"

"Yeah and Fang, you'll need a best man for _this_ job."

_I think I'm done here. I'm already working on the next one, but for those who think JP really messed it up with the forcibly breaking Max and Fang apart, well, I intend to fix it. I apologize for the extensiveness of the conversation in the holo-room with Morgan Le Fay, but it was necessary. To a degree, I copied the dialogue straight out of Stargate SG-1 Season 10 Episode 3, the Pegasus Project. Anyway, Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Still working on the Freak of Unnatural; does eighty chapters from now sound good, or are you busy then? LOL. Anyway, I'm not so sure about being better than chapter 11 of your Brothers in Arms._

_NinthFeather: Since you complained about the plot moving too fast, I dropped my feet. Not in terms of the update, that was…a different matter, but I think you'll find that I've slowed considerably in this chapter. If bagels are so important, what about donuts? And duct tape? That's important too, you know._

_Captiosus: Noted. I have trouble with the descriptive elements, but I'm working on it._

_Yo, Avenging Angels is in da house! Yeah that was lame moving on. So, I'm back and officially still Betaing for this awesome story. So R&R people! This guy deserves it!_

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_


	29. The Wedding

_Guess this is the chapter where I finish what I started, right? Of course right. Anyways, on with the chapter!_

_The gate room of Atlantis:_

"Hey!" Ajax called out, bounding up the stairs two at a time. "Could you dial the 'gate in the forest? The eight-chevron address?"

"Okay…may I ask why?" Chuck asked, reaching for the DHD console. "Well…can you keep a secret?" Ajax asked, seemingly out of breath.

"Sure, if it's not something dangerous." Chuck responded, his eyes narrowed.

"Max and Fang are getting married, and I want to test something for their marriage ceremony. If it works right, they'll be in Du Weldenvarden, the people will be here, on either side of the stairs and 'gate level, making an isle for them to walk down." Ajax whispered.

"Ah, I get it!" Chuck said, his voice quietly enthusiastic as the image flowed through his mind. "Yeah. So could you try it for me?"

"Sure, but I don't think it will work." the sequence was entered, followed by the center button.

The chevrons had lit up, one by one in accordance with the buttons. When the center button was pressed, the chevron lights flickered for a moment, then the 'gate engaged. The connection held until the technician pushed the center key again, at which point it snapped out of existence like any normal wormhole event horizon would.

"Thanks." Ajax said. He laid a hand-made picture frame down on the console beside the DHD, and walked into Dr. Wier's office, the door closing behind him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Dr Wier asked with a smile, looking up from her mobile computer.

"Is that the 'please tell me you need help only I can give so I can get out of paperwork' question, or is there something else there?" Ajax asked good-naturedly, a knowing smile on his face. "Wouldn't put me off if it was, besides, it IS help only can give. I'm sure by now, someone has told you of Max and Fang's intention to get married?"

"Yes." Dr Weir said, inclining her head forward slightly. "What about it?"

"Well, I'm setting the whole thing up, and I need the 'gate for the ceremony." Ajax said. Dr Wier's eyebrows rose considerably. "Oh? What for?"

"Well, the ceremony is to take place at the top of the stairs, and I was going to have people on either side of the gate, going halfway up the stairs, forming an isle for the married-to-be to walk up. I'm sure you heard the 'gate start up and then shut down again?"

"Yes…"Dr. Wier said. Her face asked the question for her.

"McKay will probably be able to explain it better, but due to the uniqueness of the 'gate setup in the forest, we are able to dial that 'gate from here. I know that typically speaking, we can't dial one gate from the same planet that it's on. We can dial any other gate, but not a secondary gate. Somehow, this isn't a factor in this situation. Some of the ceremony will take place in the forest, the rest here…with your permission of course."

"I'd be glad to set something up. When is all this happening?"

"Well, because Angel inexplicably chose to go with McKay on the _Odyssey_, we intend to wait until such time as they return." Ajax said. In his head, he was still working on details for the forest half.

"I see. Well, when you get anything more, be sure to tell me. I need to know so that we don't have a pair of newlyweds bashing their noses on our 'gate shield." Dr. Wier said. Her tone was amused, but her meaning was dead serious.

"I'll have someone on that end with an IDC transmitter just to be sure, and I'll get you the approximate time when we get the finer details hammered out." Ajax rose smoothly from his chair. "Thank you for your time, I'll be sure to visit again soon to give you another excuse to avoid that dreaded paperwork."

They both laughed, then Ajax left, a thoughtful frown on his face.

_Later, in Max's quarters:_

"Well, I talked with the good Dr. Wier, and she's inclined to let us use the 'gate for the ceremony. She just needs to know more or less when you will be dialing in, and I'll have someone with an IDC transmitter on your end anyway, just for good measure. So, here's the plan…"

_Back in the 'gate room:_

"I need the forest please." Ajax said, looking towards the control center. He stood back from the 'gate so that it wouldn't vaporize him when it activated. Moments later, the last chevron locked, and the instability vortex shot out for a moment, before dropping back to form the event horizon. Ajax moved towards the 'gate, then looked back at the control center. "Thanks." He stepped through.

_In the forest:_

The elves looked on with sharp eyes as the metal ring activated, pushing a vortex of what looked like shimmering water out for about four feet before dropping back to a level pool of water. Ajax stepped out of the not-water, and the ring shut down with a snapping sound.

After exchanging the greeting with one of the by standing elves, Ajax said "I need to speak with the Queen, if I may."

The elf nodded, his silky hair moving about his shoulders. "I will see what can be done." he said.

Ajax inclined his head in thanks then found a tree to climb while he waited. It was a sturdy tree, oak, unlike most of the other trees in the forest. He was halfway to the top when the elf returned. "I'll be right down." he called. Startled, the elf looked up. "How did you get up there, Dragon Rider Ajax?"

"I climbed up." Ajax replied, then let go of his hand holds.

He dropped out of the tree to the ground with a satisfying thump, flexing his knees as he did so. After a moment, he stood up again, and looked appreciatively at the tree he had dropped out of.

"The Queen has granted your request." The elf said, still eyeing Ajax and the tree. "This way."

Ajax followed the elf through several hallways made of the living trees, until they rounded a corner leading into another hallway. The elf gestured ahead. "The Queen will see you now." With that, he left.

Ajax walked through the hallway, and was met by a group of guards who regarded Ajax with a cold glance, but did not move from their posts. The knotted throne came into view as he rounded a bend, along with another set of guards who were as cold as the first group he had seen. Ajax paused at the entrance to the throne room.

"You may enter." the Queen said quietly. Ajax approached the throne, and knelt before exchanging the ceremonial greeting.

"What is it you seek from me?" Islanzadí asked, her elegant voice sounding like liquid honey. "I know you would not come here without reason."

Refusing to meet her eyes, and holding a military demeanor, Ajax stiffly stated "Permission to speak without the constraints of political politeness, your Majesty."

Intrigued, she sat back and considered his request for a moment. "Granted." She replied. "But what is it you want from me?"

A little more at ease, Ajax replied "I wish to request the use of your training fields and seven elves for a wedding ceremony."

Islanzadí looked at him for a long moment. "What will the ceremony entail?" she asked curiously, leaning forward with interested eyes.

Ajax drew out the plan to Islanzadí's satisfaction, and permission was granted. Just then, his radio cackled with life.

"This is Dr. Beckett calling Ajax. Ajax, do you read me?"

"I read you loud and clear, Carson, go ahead." Ajax released the talk key.

"The _Odyssey_ has returned safely, with minor damages. A Hive shot them up a bit, but they are fine."

"Roger that. I've just finished talking with Queen Islanzadí, so I'll be right over." Ajax released the talk key, then pushed it again. "Ajax to _Odyssey_. I don't suppose you'd mind having one to beam up?"

"Not at all. Come on up."

"How do I-" Ajax was cut off as the beaming technology locked onto him, and brought him to the ship, "do that."

"Welcome aboard, Ajax. What's up?" Ajax looked around, gaining his bearings before turning to the doctor.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you guys could hang around for a couple days." Ajax said, still getting over the shock of beaming.

"Oh? Why?" Carson asked, his gaze full of curiosity much like the Queen's had been moments before.

"Oh, there's a wedding coming up, and I was going to see if I could manage to invite SG-1 to be there. I've been getting cameras set up for the wedding because we can't fit everyone into the Gate Room. As such, we've been setting up monitors in varying places, and we were thinking about broadcasting it to the ship as well, if you'll stick around. However, we will have some people in the Gate Room for the ceremony."

"Well, I'll see what we can do, but I can't guarantee anything." the captain replied.

"Well, we've been planning this for a little bit now. You were near a black hole, time dilation must have had some effect on you. Anyways, we're scheduled for tomorrow. Dr Wier already called Stargate Command, sent the data packet that they typically send, along with the request to allow you guys to hang around for the wedding if you wanted."

"Well then, I guess we'll take you up on it."

"Great. I'll need to ask the _bride to be _about some of the guests, so could you push the button that makes me go down again?"

"Sure thing." the captain said, smiling. "We'll put you right in the 'gate room."

A moment later, the white light engulfed Ajax, taking him back to the surface.

_Atlantis' Gate Room:_

The white beam of light deposited Ajax on the same level as the stargate, and he bounded up the stairs, two at a time. Walking to Dr. Wier's office, he gently rapped his knuckles against the glass. Dr Wier looked up, and motioned for him to enter.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Well, I've talked with Queen Islanzadí, and she's agreed to help, and I've talked with the captain of the Odyssey, and I've got almost everything worked out. Nudge is working on Max's wedding dress, and I need to know where SG-1 is." Ajax had barely even paused for breath through his quick mini-speech.

"Is that all?" Dr Wier asked, smiling.

"I think so. Also, the ceremony will be around three PM."

"Got it." Dr Wier said, making a note.

"I think SG-1 is with ART-1 in the briefing room, talking about the super gate and other stuff like that."

"Thanks a million." Ajax said before walking out.

For a while, he stood at the balcony overlooking the Gate Room, just watching the people moving around. A hiss and a groan caught his attention, and he whirled around to see the members of SG-1 walked out with ART-1.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

Colonel Carter answered. "Well, we kept trying with the nukes to jump the 'gate connection from the regular gate we had near the super gate to the super gate, but that wasn't working, so we decided to beam our last nukes onto a Wraith Hive ship, and blow that up in self defense after luring them into the accretion disk of the black hole in self defense. The blast from that explosion didn't vaporize the 'gate like we thought it would, but the blast did jump the connection to the super gate, destroying an Ori Mothership in the process. That's the long story short version."

Ajax blinked a couple of times, and Colonel Mitchell spoke up. "I think you broke his mind there, Sam."

As Ajax was still blinking, Vala jumped in with "Maybe you did break him."

"No, I got something in my eye at the exact moment that you finished speaking, you didn't break my mind, trust me. I was going to ask if you'd be willing to stick around for another day, to witness a event of great joy and happiness. Max and Fang, two of the resident human-avian hybrids, are getting married! I wanted to invite you, but, I must warn you, if and when we go talk to Max about it, and you even look like you want to dissect her, you probably won't be allowed to attend in person. She's had a rough life before coming here, and she very tolerant of Dr. Beckett, but she near refuses to see anyone else." Ajax warned, the serious look on his face sinking into her.

"I'm not so good with dissections anyways." Colonel Carter laughed, "but I can understand her discomfort."

"Well, right this way." Ajax said, gesturing towards the hall.

"So, who's on the guest list for the people watching the ceremony in person?" Vala asked.

"Well, so far we have Eragon, Amaranth, myself, Dr. Jackson if he's willing, Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney McKay."

"Really? How'd he weasel his way onto the guest list?" Carter asked, amusement plain in her tone.

"Max and Fang went off-world with ART-1 a couple of times. Needed some real fighting action, and the opportunity presented itself, so they went. Being in battle with someone creates a sort of bond, and that's why he's on the list. Also, because he and Angel work together so much around here. More than likely, part of what will go into Max's decision is how Angel felt around you guys."

"Yeah, I noticed that he didn't berate Angel the way he berates the rest of his personal team of lackeys." Mitchell put in.

"That's because she's a genius in her own right. For example, she could tell you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about wormhole physics. I very much doubt that will ever happen, due to her short attention span, unless it's for a bet. Speaking of betting, never, ever, ever, EVER play poker or any other betting game against Angel unless you really want to give away money to an eight-year old. She can read minds."

"And just who is Amaranth? I heard you mention the name before but you never explained who they are." Jackson asked.

"Do you believe in dragons?" Ajax asked, seemingly changing the subject.

"No...why?"

"Amaranth is a dragon. She's about two weeks old at this point, and very cheeky. Despite all that, she gets along well with Max, even though Max didn't trust her very much at the first." As the group stepped out of the transporter, Ajax began counting under his breath. "One, two, three, four, five, six." He stopped in front of a door, and slid his hand across the control. The door opened at once, and Ajax exchanged a few words with the occupant of the room.

"You can go in" Ajax said "but be careful if you want to attend."

If that didn't put them on their toes then nothing would….

The next day, Ajax and Eragon were running around like their heads had been cut off, laying the final preparations while the remaining inhabitants went about their daily schedule with an eye on the clock. Nearly everything was ready, and they retreated to the Central Mess for lunch. After a hurried 'take-out' lunch, they finished what little there was to do with the decorations, and retired to the Jumper Bay.

Ajax had taught Eragon how to fly a Jumper, and each Jumper had a special designation for the afternoon. Eragon would be flying the Black Jumper, while Max would be riding in the White Jumper, piloted by Ajax who insisted with the backing of Nudge that flying in a wedding dress wasn't a good idea.

The inner doors were to be sealed, so that there could be no interaction between the Riders and their cargo. Accompanying Fang was Iggy, dressed for combat, and Fang had a tux available, but was also dressed for combat. Max was decked out in fine style, as Nudge had spent nearly three whole days drawing it. With her was Nudge and Angel, dressed as would be befitting for her handmaidens.

Ajax' Jumper departed nearly half an hour ahead of Eragon's so that Max would be in position with her handmaidens. Additionally, riding up front with Ajax was Major Lorne, carrying an IDC transmitter. He would see to it that Atlantis would know it was time to start playing 'Here comes the Bride' instead of raising the shield.

Ajax arrived at the checkpoint, and opened the door. Seven elves melted out of the shadows, and with a nod towards Ajax, readied themselves for their job. As soon as Max had stepped out of the Jumper with her handmaids, Ajax closed the door, and the elves escorted the trio to an undisclosed location. Fang would have to find his intended before he could marry her.

After cloaking the Jumper, Ajax settled the Jumper directly behind the Stargate that was set in the heart of the forest. It had taken some skillful flying to get there, and Ajax did break a branch or two on his way in. Eragon had no such worries. His job was to deliver Fang to the elven border, and fly back to Atlantis where he would wait with the rest of the crowd. His position was near the top of the staircase, and there he waited for the 'gate to activate.

_Fang:_

Fang watched as the Jumper turned, and flew back in the direction it had come from. There were some rudimentary instructions for getting through the wards, but that was all the help he had aside from Iggy. He examined the ground, and found prints, like that of someone who's woodcraft was yet to be fully honed.

He motioned towards Iggy, glad that Iggy had somehow gotten his sight back. He had said something about Amaranth being involved, but Fang never followed it up. For half an hour, the two traced the nearly invisible prints, searching for a flash of white that would indicate Max was near. As they were approaching the forty-five minute mark, they came upon an elf, guarding the road. Fang pulled out the ring he would be giving Max, that was his pass to enter that level of the wards. After ten more minutes, Fang broke his silence.

"There she is." He pointed towards a small spot of white among the rest of the greenery. "We'll have to be roundabout to get there without alerting them to our presence." They crept around, through and below several layers of underbrush, finally getting to a small clearing. Max was sitting with Angel and Nudge in a glade just beyond. There were seven elves with them, and the elves looked like they were just itching for a fight.

"I wonder when Fang will get here." Max said. It was just loud enough for Fang to hear, and plenty loud enough for the elves to hear.

"Quiet, you!" one of them said, and he made as if to slap Max across the cheek. He didn't get a chance though, Fang and Iggy charged through the clearing and into the glade.

The elves turned as one, acting surprised. They weren't surprised, with their connection to the things of nature, and their abilities to hear things far better than humans, they had known Fang was nearby with Iggy. Had it been anyone else, they would have disarmed the attackers, and then cleared up the situation about the 'hostage' they were holding.

Fang split to the right, while Iggy split to the left, and together they took down two elves before the elves had had a chance to 'collect' themselves. All was going according to plan, when instead of attacking one of the elves, Fang cut the restraints holding Max, Nudge and Angel in place. They rose as one, and each managed to mock-deck an elf, Max decking the one that was making as if to slap her. Fang and Iggy finished the other two off, bound all seven of them together, and sent them on their way. Together, the group trouped to the Stargate, where Fang attempted to find the DHD. He wasn't expecting the onslaught of three elves that descended upon his intended as he searched. This happened twice before Fang found the DHD, and dialed.

_In the Jumper:_

After two fights had been gone through, Lorne turned to Ajax.

"How much fighting does that kid have to do?"

"Oh, just until he finds the DHD and dials Atlantis. You know, I've never been behind a stargate when it activates."

"I have. It's a bit different than when you're in front of it." Lorne couldn't say anything more on the subject as Fang finally found the Stargate, and dialed it. From behind, it looked like someone had dropped a rather heavy weight on a water colored trampoline. It leveled off, and Lorne quickly entered his IDC. Ajax made the Jumper fly straight up, and then turn around so that he could fly into the event horizon behind the Groom. Fang had managed to get his tux on in record time, with his obsidian wings glittering in the sunlight behind him. After he stepped through, Ajax carefully followed. The bay door had been left open on Atlantis so that he could fly up straight away. As soon as the Jumper cleared the event horizon, the 'gate snapped off, and the Jumper quietly ascended into the Jumper bay.

_In the Gate Room:_

The Gate Room had been decked out such that it could have easily belonged to royalty. After the bridesmaids had stepped through, people became very still. Angel's special contribution to the ceremony was that all the lights in the Gate Room would be keyed to Max's entrance, and Atlantis' shield was set to an opaque frequency.

The moment she stepped through the 'gate, the lights nearest the 'gate powered up. As she moved slowly down the isle, to the tune of 'here comes the bride', more lights activated, one here, another there, slowly filling the room with light. As her foot touched the bottom stair, the lights behind the riser of the step in front of her lit up, followed by the next one up, one at a time, as she slowly moved up the staircase. On either side of the staircase was ART-1 and SG-1, with SG-1 on Max's right. Further up, there were dignitaries such as Islanzadí, Nasuada, King Orrin, and Roran Stronghammer. At the top of the staircase, Amaranth sat on the left, watching Max with shining eyes, and Eragon smiled from her right.

Ajax walked through the Control Room to the head of the staircase, where Max stood on the left. Fang slowly walked up the stairs, and the ceremony began.

"We are here today, to witness a most auspicious event, the marriage of Maximum Ride and Fang. If there are any who have prior claim to them, or have a reason they should not be wed, bring the issue before us that we may decide the truth of the matter."

The room went dead silent, save for a single cough from somewhere in the back.

"Very well. Are there any unresolved issues that would prevent you, Fang, from taking Maximum Ride as your lawful wedded wife?"

Fang's face was unreadable as he said "Not to my knowledge."

"Very well, Maximum Ride, are there any unresolved issues that would prevent you from taking Fang to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Max's determined, "No," carried across the Gate Room, even though it was packed with people.

"Very well then. Fang, do you swear by your name and by your wings, that you shall protect and provide for Maximum Ride while you both yet live?"

"I, Fang, do swear, by my name and by my wings, that I shall protect and provide for Maximum Ride while we both yet live." Fang pledged. His eyes glittered with a new light, a light Ajax had never quite seen before.

Ajax continued.

"Do you swear to uphold her honor, to remain steadfast and faithful to her in the years to come, and treat her with the proper respect, dignity, and gentleness?"

Fang swore he would.

"And do you swear to give her the keys to your holdings, such as they may be, and to your strongbox where you keep your coin, by sunset tomorrow, so she may tend to your affairs as a wife should?"

Again, Fang swore he would.

Ajax turned and looked at Max who was gazing at Fang with the same spark in her brown eyes. "Maximum Ride, do you swear by you name and your wings, that you shall serve and provide for Fang while you both yet live?"

After she repeated the oath back to Ajax, he continued.

"Do you swear to uphold his honor, to remain steadfast and faithful to him in the years to come, to bear his children while you may, and to be a caring mother for them?"

Max swore she would, and Ajax asked the final question.

"And do you swear to assume charge of his wealth and his possessions, and to manage them responsibly, so he may concentrate upon those duties that are his alone?"

"I do."

"Then cross your wrists."

As Max and Fang did so, Ajax pulled a red ribbon from his pocket, and tied their wrists together with it, ending with a bowknot.

"As is my right as a Dragon Rider, I now declare you, man and wife!" Ajax declared. With a grin, he leaned towards Fang. "You may kiss the bride."

Fang and Max kissed, long and deep, seeming to forget that the rest of the crowd was there, forgetting Ajax was there, forgetting everything that was not themselves, or their partner. After several moments, and a coughing snicker from Iggy who stood behind Fang, they separated, flushed and panted slightly for air.

"And now, let's get the party started!" Gazzy yelled, jumping up from his spot on the front row and pumping his fist.

_Author's Note: I really got going on that one, didn't I? Oh well, I filled six pages, and that's good enough for me. So, with no further ado, Answers to Readers!_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Well, I'm glad you missed me during that time. Not glad I was away, but glad you were just waiting to come back. There's the wedding, now I just need to write the party, and the after-party! Also, with the freak of Unnatural, I'm BUSY eighty chapters from now, I guess I'll just have to ax it. Just Kidding, I'll probably figure the thrice-blasted thing out, within the next two chapters or so._

_No one else left a review, so Read and don't stay up all night! (unless you have insomnia)_

_Avenging Angels here weighing in! So, Max and Fang are officially hitched. About time, I did it on my story and now I'm glad to say Hideout Writer has done the same. I wish James Patterson could get this right. If we 'amateur' writers can get it right why can't a grown man with a million bucks for books he's written? Oh well._

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_

_Hideout Writer here again. As with the chapter previous, I posted this before Avenging Angels got back to me with the improved version, so if you are so inclined, leave a second review for the chapter, and I'll see what I have to answer._


	30. After The Wedding

_Back again? Well, since you've come all this way, I guess I'll give you another chapter._

_Max's Quarters, 10:30 P.M.:_

Max and Fang had been in the Central Mess hall for over three hours, eating, drinking, and dancing. The whole hall was full of people, even a certain young dragon who kept trying to pop the balloons with her spiky tail. "Amaranth for the thousandth time quit it!" Ajax groaned as he passed by one of the tables where the young dragon was creeping through the food, stalking another potential floating green victim.

Amaranth threw Ajax a glare before launching off over the crowd, whisking between the floating balloons and snapping at them playfully, knowing her Rider was watching.

After the first hour, Fang had finally slow danced with Max over to the microphone, where he calmly said, "Please, stop tapping your glasses."

Several people in the crowd moaned, but his words had the intended effect, and they stopped clinking their glasses with their silverware.

"Tired of kissing me already?" Max whispered, smiling up at Fang.

"No, I just don't think I need to kiss you on their call." Fang whispered back, a smirk on his face. "I'm not theirs to command."

They had chosen to retire a little earlier than normal, because they anticipated a long day of flying all day tomorrow. As they entered the hallway, the doors behind them closed. In front of them, a second pair of doors did the same. Fang and Max shared a meaningful glance, as the same sort of thing had occurred the night Angel tripped the Joiner Project. Atlantis had been watching through Angel's eyes, and knew the meaning of what had transpired in her Gate Room. She opened the door to Fang's room, and waited to see what they would do.

Max and Fang had undone the silken red ribbon as they were going down the hall to their rooms, and were now looking to go to bed. The next day, they would move in together, to one of the larger rooms down the hall. Fang entered his room after sharing a final, tender kiss for the night with Max.

Max, after the kiss with Fang, swiped her hand along the 'doorknob' crystal tray. It pinged like it normally would, but didn't open. Fang was trying to get his door to close, and like Max's door, the tray pinged, but the door didn't move.

"Let me try." Max said, pressing the outside tray. Nothing happened, and she stepped inside to try that tray. No sooner was she inside the room than the door closed on it's own, and while the lights remained on, the locking crystal dimmed significantly, meaning that the door was locked.

Max looked disbelievingly at the door, then to the locking mechanism, and shook her head. Glancing at Fang she said, "I guess Atlantis wants us to be together tonight." She threw Fang a wry smile. "Not that I disapprove of the idea…"

"Shouldn't disagree with the leader." Fang agreed. He wrapped his arms around Max, and gently pulled her down onto the bed. She didn't resist, but managed to spin around so she was facing Fang, her hair cascading around their faces, casting them both in shadow.

Together, the two crawled under the covers on the bed, and the lights dimmed in response to their combined mood.

"I guess we'll see about moving into some larger quarters tomorrow." Max muttered, shifting to get comfortable in Fang's single sized bed. Fang made a single grunt, but didn't say anything more as he slipped into sleep.

Max had a harder time getting to sleep; even in Atlantis, old habits were hard to break. As she thought about their future together, she slid a wing free of the coverlet, and began absent-mindedly grooming her feathers, pulling out a few sticks and leaves that had accumulated during her time on the mainland looking for Thorn and Murtagh. Finally, she did succumb to sleep and her dreams were filled with wonders unimaginable…for once, the nightmares seemed to be kept at bay, almost as if the arms now wrapped around her kept them from reaching her unconscious mind.

_In the Gate Room:_

Eragon and Ajax had been busy cleaning up when Amaranth snorted, then walked off, imitating the cat that had been gotten two weeks before for Rodney. She walked no more than three paces, to a point well out of the way of marauding feet, and after curling into a ball, imitated going to sleep.

Ajax, feeling her exhaustion across the link, yawned as well, causing Eragon to yawn in his turn.

"In my professional medical opinion Ajax, Eragon, you need to go to bed." Carson said kindly, nodding at the two with a small smile. "Ye've been running non-stop since ten this morning. Go on to bed, this mess isn't life-threatening to anybody, you two need your sleep." Ajax and Eragon both opened their mouths to argue, but Carson cut them off.

"I'll make it an order if I must, and as I am the Chief Medical Officer here in Atlantis, I'd have full authority to do so." Carson admonished, puffing out his chest.

Ajax turned to go, but Eragon remained, a stubborn look on his face.

"I am part elf." Eragon started.

"And I'm part Lantean." Carson replied, not missing a beat. "It's in my genetic structure. But ye won't see my running around, neglecting my rest just because I'm part Lantean."

"I'm a Rider." Eragon stated. "And thus, by the laws of this land, above all other authority. Do NOT presume to take command over me." His tone was icy enough that Ajax stopped at the doorway to watch the showdown. Amaranth cracked open an eye to watch as well, no doubt prepared to spring up and find Saphira though there was probably no need, through their connection, there was no doubt Saphira was hearing and seeing this just as well as if she was poking her head through the doors.

Carson stared, incredulous for a moment. Then, he turned and walked through the Control Room to the balcony. The stained-glass door closed behind him with a swish and a groan. With Eragon's elven hearing, he was able to hear Carson calling down to Saphira, asking her to tell her Rider to go to bed already.

Eragon was halfway up the stairs when he heard Saphira.

_"Eragon. Go to bed. You've been up since five in the morning by these people's method of reckoning. You've been running around all day, and you're exhausted. Now, GO. TO. BED."_

Eragon jumped as she finished, then glared at the mess still remaining. Muttering something about overprotective dragons, he made for the door.

Ajax fell in with Eragon as he walked through the door. "Just so you know, I told Sheppard and Dr. Wier about how Riders typically have accommodations near their dragons, and they've set up a room specifically for you when you visit. It's right next to the dock, on ground level, that way you and Saphira can be relatively close."

"I can't believe that Carson would do that to me!" Eragon fumed, barely registering what Ajax had said.

"Do what? Ask Saphira to tell you to head on off to bed?"

"Yeah. He interfered with a dragon! Do you know how rude that action was?"

"Yes. I know, but he doesn't, and think about it this way. He is responsible for the physical well-being of everyone in Atlantis, regardless of who they are. Hell, if Saphira was injured, and he knew anything about dragon physiology, he would do his best to help her. He just cares about everyone is all."

Eragon muttered something unintelligible, but didn't comment beyond that.

"I guess I'll see you around then?" Eragon was already in his room, and didn't hear.

"I guess I'll see him around."

Suddenly, Ajax wheeled around, his sixth sense flooding his system with adrenaline. Nothing was there, but Ajax wasn't about to stick around. Using his adrenalin to his advantage, Ajax fled the unseen threat.

Twenty feet down the hall, Q chuckled and snapped his fingers…and Ajax slowed to a stop in pure white surroundings.

"For some reason, I highly doubt that this is my quarters on Atlantis." Ajax noted. He had begun to slide towards a defensive stance when Q popped up.

_Ajax's Quarters:_

The next day, Ajax awoke in his bed on Atlantis, not remembering how he got there. He looked at the clock, and then slapped himself a couple times. He looked at the clock again. The glowing blue digits still read 11:31 AM. Looking down at the foot of his bed, he saw Amaranth stretched out on top of the coverlet. Getting out of bed was harder than usual, because he didn't want to wake her up just yet. As he was getting dressed, he noticed something on his neck that he was sure had never been there before. On his neck was a pure silver torc, made up of over fifty small strands of silver woven together. Each end of the torc was made up of the symbol of the Dragon Riders. After he finished dressing, he made his way to the South Hall for breakfast. After picking up his own food, he went to the meat station.

"And what will you be having?" The man said, readying his knife.

"Six large steaks, raw please." Ajax said, finally over his post-sleep drowsiness.

"Proof?"

Ajax tugged off his glove, showing the gedwëy ignasia to the man who studied it for a moment then nodded. "Right, looks good to me. Here you go, and have yourself a fine day."

"Thank you." Ajax picked up the tray and began to walk out.

"So where'd you get that?" the man asked.

Ajax stopped. "Get what?"

"That silver thing on your neck. Where'd you get that?"

"Oh, that." Ajax said.

"Yeah, that."

"I haven't a bleeding clue. Soon as I figure it out, I'll tell you, and we can call it even, right?"

"Or you could just out and tell me you don't want to talk about it. It truly is none of my business anyway." the man said, chopping up another steak.

Ajax closed his eyes for a moment. "I honestly don't know where it came from, or how it came to me. The last thing I remembered last night was me talking to Eragon outside his quarters. Something triggered my sixth sense, and I fled. The next thing I knew, I was in my bed in my quarters. That was ten minutes ago. As soon as I figure out how this came to me, I'll tell you."

Furious, but hiding it well, Ajax left the mess hall with the eyes of the man following him all the way out. _"I absolutely _hate_ it when people question my honor."_

As he neared his quarters, he felt Amaranth's questing probe searching for him. "I don't suppose you'd mind using your impressive aerial prowess to open the door, would you?" he asked.

_"Hmph. I'm a dragon, not a door-opener. I have more dignity than that. I'm from a race of the most dignified, honorable, fearsome-"_

_"You were popping bright balloons yesterday." _Ajax interrupted, rolling his eyes.

With an over-exaggerated sigh, Ajax set down the tray with Amaranth's food, and swiped the crystal. The door opened to show Amaranth on the bed, carefully balanced on her hind legs, waving her tail wildly about, and allowing her tongue to hang out of her mouth. The similarities between her and a dog begging for it's supper were not lost on Ajax.

"You decided to not make a close vertical pass on the door control because you needed to act like a puppy begging for supper?"

_"Yes…no."_

_"Make up your mind! Is there…oh."_

_"My unfailing logic strikes again!" _Amaranth purred as she finished speaking.

"Now see here. That purring noise totally destroys your 'begging dog' look. Either way, here's breakfast. Eat quick, because I'm willing to bet Eragon is just about ready to hunt us down." Ajax said, setting down the plate.

They ate in companionable silence, not needing to say anything. Just as Ajax finished, he heard the chime of someone trying to access the room. Ajax swiped the lock, allowing outside access. "Come in!"

The door hissed, then groaned open. Eragon stood in the doorway.

"I've been looking for you all morning!" Eragon said, his voice raised slightly.

"Sorry about that, I was dealing with a nasty case of unconsciousness this morning. Woke up well refreshed though." Ajax replied glibly.

Eragon snorted. "Why did you sleep so late?"

"I suspect Q." Ajax said. He reminded Eragon of a small child, casting the blame on another.

"Who is that again?" Eragon asked. For some reason, he didn't notice the bright flash of light and the slightly thunderous sound as Q appeared behind him.

"Try looking behind you."

Eragon whirled around, his hand flying to his sword, startled to see a man dressed in a red Starfleet uniform.

"I'm terribly sorry for not getting around to this earlier-" Q said, "but I've been extremely busy in my campaign to make the galaxy like me. Without using my powers to force them to like me that is."

Ajax face-palmed. "I'm going to regret this I'm sure," he said, heaving a sigh "but why would you be doing that?"

"Because, if I can do that, then the Q Continuum will allow me to retake my place as a member of good standing in the Continuum. I've been doing a lot of humanitarian work recently, trying to make the denizens of the galaxy think well of me. The consensus among the humans is that I should destroy the Wraith. Those pasty green-skinned space vampires want me to make the humans completely subservient to them."

"So… are you the one that did this? Cause I can't take it off for some reason. I'm able to touch it, but the moment I go to take this thing off, it pushes my hands away."

"Don't you like it? Among the Celtic peoples of your world, a torc like that was a sign of honor or of great glory. I made it an addition to being a Rider."

Eragon suddenly jumped in to the conversation. "Why is mine gold, and his silver?"

"Well, silver would be the standard, but gold is reserved for the high council of the Riders. Because there are so few of you, that means you are a council of one, at least until you deem feathers here experienced enough to join the council. Oh, and the one on the red dragon has one made of iron. It is a sign of disgrace, and considering his particular disgrace, cannot be expunged."

"Q? A word of advice for your campaign? Don't kiss up to everyone." Ajax said dryly. "Build a solid foundation as someone who is friendly, and over time, people will like you more. Kissing up to them now will not make them think highly of you later. Anyways, I've got to get rolling, I've slept far too late this morning." So saying, Ajax rolled up some papers he had on his desk before shoving them into a metal cylinder, slammed a pair of handguns into their respective holsters, snatched up a P-90, and clipped that to his vest before scooping up Amaranth and draping her over his shoulders.

_"You're almost too big for me to keep doing this." _Ajax said to Amaranth. She chuckled in amusement.

_"Then maybe I should carry you?"_

_"No, I don't think you are large enough for me to even think about attempting that yet."_

Ajax and Amaranth exited the room, Ajax moving at a quick dog-trot. Eragon and Q followed him out, and the door closed behind them.

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Actually, the idea came from something I read about ancient cultures, like Greece and Rome. Originally, the groom finds the bride, and steals her while the best man covers for him._

_NinthFeather: Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't get more of that right now, but maybe later._

_Jamtd: It's a carefully balanced juggling act._

Is there anything Avenging Angels would like to say to my readership?

Yes sir there is! Yo, Avenging Angels here and I just wanna say sorry for holding this post up a few days. I'm preparing for the SAT and two college level tests in Language and World History. Plus my job. But I keep on rolling on like this awesome story! Please review!

Sincerely,

Avenging Angels


	31. Q and newlyweds

_Another day, another chapter…maybe one day I'll figure out where this thing is supposed to end up at._

_Fang's Quarters, Noon Thirty PM:_

Max was the first to stir, and she noted that she wasn't in her room, or if she was, a portrait of her Flock was missing. She heard a groan, and looked over to see Fang, facing her, though still mostly asleep. With a rush, the memories returned to her, and she remembered what Atlantis had done last night.

"Fang, wake up." she murmured, and Fang cracked an eye open.

"M'up." he mumbled through a yawn.

Max carefully slid out of bed, doing her best not to disturb Fang, and put on her shoes.

Whatever had gotten into Atlantis, she obviously didn't feel like continuing it again today, and when Max slid her hand past the doorknob tray, it pinged obligingly, and the doors groaned open. As Max walked happily down the hall, she noted that Atlantis had held open a larger room, presumably for herself and Fang. She returned fifteen minutes later with two large trays of food, and Fang greeted her at the door.

"Going somewhere?" he asked with a grin. Max playfully punched him in the arm, but smiled as she did so. "Thought that was my job," Fang said, taking a tray from her. Max smiled and nudged him inside. "I didn't feel like starving to death."

"Atlantis has been setting up a new room for us." Max announced between bites as they sat on Fang's bed together. She glanced at him as she continued. "It's got a larger bed, and most of the stuff from my room is already there. We'd just need to move your stuff in, and we'd be done."

Fang acknowledged receipt of the information with a grunt, and continued eating.

When he finished, he leaned over towards Max, who got the hint. The pair kissed passionately for several minutes before finally breaking apart, a new glow on their faces. The moment was interrupted by a bright flash of light followed by a slightly thunderous sound. Q had arrived.

Fang put his head to one side for a long moment, and studied the powerful being through narrowed eyes. Max didn't bother changing position or glaring at Q, knowing that whatever he wanted to do, he would do, and there was precious little she could do to stop it. So instead she opted for the oh so powerful 'silent treatment'.

Several long moments passed in which Q began looking more and more uncomfortable.

"Did I come at a bad time?" he asked.

Fang nearly shut down from the shock of hearing Q say that, and Max closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them again.

"Did I hear that right? You, were asking if you had come at a bad time?" Max sounded incredulous.

Q only looked more uncomfortable, and for once, Max took pity on Q.

"I hope I don't regret this." she muttered to herself. "You're fine. What do you need?" she asked, relenting. Q looked relieved. "I wanted to personally congratulate you two on finally getting married." he said, regaining some of his old persona.

"Should I be worried?" Max asked.

"Depends on what worries you." Q responded glibly.

Max got a sinking feeling in her stomach, but barely had time to process the feeling before Q snapped his fingers. "What did you just do?" she asked quietly.

Q had the good sense to not play dumb and give some snarky retort. Max had proved she wasn't the run of the mill type long ago. "I gave you two your wedding present from me and the rest of the Continuum. We all wish you well." So saying, he snapped his fingers again, and disappeared.

Fang and Max shared a long look with each other, looking for some sign of Q might have done this time.

Fang saw it first, a bracelet of pure gold that was slowly growing around Max's wrists. A matching necklace was forming around her neck. Fang reached over, and gently directed Max's attention to the bracelets that were forming on her wrists. As he did so, Max noticed that bracelets of the same design were growing on Fang's wrists.

"Uh, Fang, your wrists?" she managed to say. Fang looked down at his own wrists, and saw the gold bands circling his own wrists.

"Ajax could help." he suggested, gazing at his and her bracelets. "But let's clean up our breakfast dishes first." He leaned in again, and gently kissed Max. After a moment, Max's head cleared enough to register what was happening around her. Fang was already out the door with the tray of dirty dishes, and Max decided to finish moving out of her room and into the room she and Fang would be sharing. When the door to her room opened, it was empty. All of Max's personal belongings had already been moved to the larger room.

Feeling happier than she had in a while, she flitted over to the larger room, and began to explore it. The windows were larger, and as she moved her hand along the frame, a tiny blue light flashed briefly, and the window slid open, revealing a screen, with the South Pier of Atlantis just beyond. Moving her hand along the frame again, the screen slid open.

When Fang returned from the mess hall, he found Max leaning out of the window, her hair blowing in the slight breeze, and knew that a look of pure contentment graced her face.

As Fang looked over the peaceful scene, he noticed that there were several objects that had been in his room that were now in this larger room.

"Did you…?" Fang asked.

"No, Atlantis did that." Max replied, pulling herself back into the room. She swiped the frame twice, and the screen slid back over the space, then the window slid closed.

Fang went to the bed and sat down, opening his wings as he did so. It took him a few moments, but he worked out where the center of his wings would be, and pulled a feather out of each wing, silently hissing in pain for a moment. After he recovered, he handed the pair of ebony feathers to Max.

Max nodded, realizing exactly what he was thinking. Sitting down, she wrapped her wings around herself, and pulled out the feathers in the center of each wing. Wincing slightly, she handed Fang a pair of brown feathers with white streaks blended into them, then pushed the ebony feathers into the places she had just removed a feather from. It engaged with the rest of her wing, and the world blurred for a moment. She felt lightheaded, but it passed after a few moments, and she stood up, opening her wings wide for Fang to see. There, in a sea of brown and whirling white, were two islands of obsidian.

Fang stood up, and swayed a moment, experiencing the same wave of lightheadedness that Max had experienced. Surrounded by an ebony sea, twin islands of brown and dancing white stood out.

"So, do you want to find Ajax and Eragon before they leave and see if they can figure out these bracelets, or stay here and…?" Max let the question hang in the air unasked.

Fang's lips quirked in that half-smile of his, as he thought for a moment. "We should go see if we can catch Ajax now, before they leave."

_Jumper Bay:_

"Well, I think that's everything. I just need to get Miss Cheeky to sit still and let me put her harness on, then we can go." Ajax said, cinching down a ratcheting strap.

"Right. I'll be flying with Saphira." Eragon said. "You fly that metal thing like a maniac, and I don't want to go again."

"Suit yourself. If you want, you can hop a ride in the back, and I'll bring you down to Saphira. That way you don't have to navigate the maze of hallways, transporters, doors, and stairs required to get from here to deck level. I'll be nice, and not fly like a maniac on the way." Ajax said, chuckling slightly.

"Fine. But only to deck level. Nothing more." Eragon said warningly.

"Wait up!" Max called from the stairway.

"Max?" Ajax asked, turning to see Max with Fang following close on her heels.

"Well, let's see what they want. We don't have to go back to the mainland right now." Eragon replied.

"Cool." Ajax said. Straightening up, he asked as they newly weds stopped before them, "What do you two need?"

"We had a visit from Q." Fang said. "He gave us these." He held up his arm, revealing the bracelet on his wrist.

"Yeah, Q gave me and Eragon these." Ajax toyed with his torc for a moment.

"He said that it was a gift from the whole Continuum." Max explained.

"Okay, that's a bit different." Ajax said, rubbing his jaw as he eyed the bracelets on their wrists. "Do you want me to check them for magic or something? Eragon and I know that there is very little magic in our torcs, just enough to keep us from removing them."

"Yes, we were hoping you could check them, maybe see if there is anything that's going to affect us down the line." Max said.

"Well, have a sit in the forward compartment. This might take a bit." Ajax said, gesturing toward the Jumper.

They each took a seat, and Amaranth sat down on the dash where she began grooming herself.

After he had activated the cloak, and taken a moments preparation, Ajax reached for the magic stream, and began his examination. The first thing he found was the magical 'no-removal' clause, as well as some rudimentary defenses against magic. This made the examination a little tougher, but it was not insurmountable.

After several moments, Ajax found shielding charms that would keep the wearer protected from all manner of harm, as well as an amplification charm that was applied to the wearer. The last thing his search turned up was a charm that pointed the wearer to the direction of the other set of bracelets.

Ajax pulled out of the magic stream, and a wave of fatigue hit him like a brick wall. He reached into the pack he had with him, and withdrew a sandwich that was filled with a generous helping of peanut butter.

"Well, aside from the typical remove-me-not thing that seems to go with Q's jewelry, there is a protective shield around you, along with a compass that is keyed to the location of your husband. I imagine his has the same feature, enabling you to find each other even if you are on opposite sides of the galaxy. There also seems to be some sort of synergy amplifier that makes you even stronger, faster, tougher, all that stuff when you are close to each other. I think the range is about fifty feet, give or take a bit. The bracelets are also likely to trigger new abilities sooner rather than later. In short, I don't think that it will kill you and I think it's a good thing to have with you…you know, just in case?" Ajax finished with his explanation, and Max nodded in understanding, her eyes narrowed though a bit of excitement could be seen. Fang's eyes were calculating.

"I'll see ya round." Max said suddenly, standing up to leave. "Thanks for the help."

Ajax didn't respond, as he was focusing on flying the Jumper out of the Jumper bay.

As the bay doors closed behind him, he looked around, and found Saphira on the South Pier, preparing to take off. Because the Jumper was still cloaked, she didn't notice the Jumper overhead, and leapt into the air, flapping to maintain altitude.

"I guess you'll have to fly to her if you intend to ride back to the mainland with her." Ajax said with a snicker.

Eragon slapped Ajax along the back of the head, but not hard enough to do any damage. "Dinozzo."

"Yeah, Boss!"

_Stopping it here, because I have nothing more to add, and it seemed like a good place to stop. So, my faithful readers, how about some answers to Reviews:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: As a matter of fact, it would have killed me. If you need me to commit suicide so you can have your Tyranids, fine. I'll do that next chapter. No gun slinging right now, I've got other plans._

_Feather-san: Yes, new chapters are always nice. As for what Q is planning, I don't even know. He's supposed to come in when I find it convenient for the plot, not whenever he darn well pleases! For the most part, I seem to be the writing/technique part, and Avenging Angels slathers the humor on like my brother does with peanut butter._

_Jamtd: I'm glad, but to be honest, I don't know where it fits into the bigger picture. Once again, I blame Q._

_Avenging Angels likely has something to say, so…:_

_Ha well I wouldn't say anything but now that you mention it…._

_Yeah no I got nothing. As always reviews are appreciated. And yes Hideout Writer handles all the tech stuff. I'm just the one that adds a bit of humor, sarcasm and descriptive detail. Together, we're a great team but of course I always defer credit to the writer: Hideout Writer in this case. As always a great chapter. How about a round of reviews for him folks?_

_Avenging Angels,_

_Out._


	32. Have bombs, will punish

… _go talk to General Jack 'O Neill over there or something, I haven't a clue what to say. Fine, I'll give you another chapter, but only since you asked nicely._

"So…why did you use a television reference? I thought you didn't approve of all that stuff."

True to his word, Ajax was flying normally as he flew back to the mainland. The crosswinds had been a bit much for Eragon, and he opted to ride out the heavy winds in the jumper while Saphira flew on the lee side of the Jumper to escape most of the wind. Her wings beat mercilessly against the on coming torrent of wind but her eyes were determined as she pushed onward. From inside, Eragon sat watching her with a frown, as she briefly flew ahead of the Jumper due to a gust of wind.

"Because I needed some way to learn as much as possible about your culture without hurting people, and despite your abilities as far as explaining things go…let's just say you come up a bit short." Ajax pretended he hadn't heard the last part and continued to stare ahead.

After that, the ride back to the mainland was quiet, with exception to the storm that was rapidly intensifying. They were nearing a city when Eragon instructed Ajax to land. "We won't go any further in this storm, and I don't want you going on by yourself." Ajax bristled slightly, but didn't comment on it. He suspected there was more than one reason Eragon was ready to stop so soon. And as Saphira landed causing the ground to shake Ajax could see that she was wearing down.

_Atlantis:_

The storm that Ajax had run into was looming on the horizon, and since the Flock didn't feel like having a battle within the confines of the Jumper bay, the rest of the afternoon was spent relatively quietly by most. Max and Fang were in their new Atlantis appointed room, and were quite actively enjoying each other's presence.

_In the Gasman's Quarters:_

"Could you hand me that yellow wire? The one with the stripped ends…yeah, that's the one. Thanks."

"Yeah…are we doing a timer for this one?" Iggy asked, picking at the assortment of wires.

"Nope. I found a design that called for an altimeter, and thought I'd do that one. I call it _Shy Guy_, and it'll probably be quite a bit bigger than any other bomb we've built before."

"What will Max say?" Iggy asked, pretending to be concerned.

Gazzy chortled for a moment, then in Max's voice said "If I _ever_ catch you two building bombs again, I'll ground you for a year!"

Iggy pretended to sober up for a moment. "Maybe we shouldn't do this, Gaz. I mean, if Max finds out, she'll ground us for a year!"

They both cracked up at this, and it was five minutes before they could stop laughing long enough to get back to their most recent build.

_Nudge's Quarters:_

Nudge was humming happily, sketching out her latest fashion idea when Angel came in. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and she was still sniffling a little.

"Ohmygosh, Angel, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Nudge asked, seeing Angel standing in the doorway.

"I saw a Wraith, and it was eating everyone in the Flock. Right before I woke up, it pinned me to the wall, and told me that it was all over, there was nothing I could do…"Angel broke down and began sobbing again, her pretty face marred by tears.

"Angel, it's okay. It was just a dream, nothing more. We're all fine." Nudge did her best to comfort Angel, but wasn't sure how best to do it. So she pulled the smallest bird kid into her arms and sat on the bed with her while Angel snuggled against her and sniffled. Nudge rubbed her back between her wings and slowly Angel began to calm down. "I'm sorry," Angel whimpered and Nudge shhh'd her. That's what Max would have done.

_The Gasman's Quarters:_

"That should just about do it. Could you hand me the dikes?" Gazzy asked.

"Sure."

"Thanks. You know, I've had some pretty weird dreams recently." Gazzy paused to snip the wire, his eyes narrowed. "I couldn't read a word on anything I saw. I knew it was written in English, but I couldn't read it. Thing is" Gazzy snipped a second wire "I needed to be able to read so I could escape the white-coats. I'd escape, get lost, and then they would capture me again. I think the bomb's finished, should we take a Jumper and blow it up?"

"Heck yeah!" Iggy pumped his fist, then, got semi serious. "So, how long have you had this dream?"

"I've had it every night for a week now. It's really weird. Anyway, let's go, this bomb won't blow itself up, you know." Gazzy scooped the bomb up off the worktable, and walked over to the door.

Iggy chuckled. "True, it won't blow itself up as it is. When it starts falling though…"

"You got that right!"

_In the Gate Room:_

"So, it's been relatively quiet around here. You mind if I gather the team and go on some cool off-world mission again?" Sheppard asked.

"Sure, but be careful." Dr. Wier said, "I don't want things to be terribly exciting when you get back. Hello, what's this?" This last was directed towards Iggy and Gazzy, who were toting a large explosive device through the Gate Room.

"It's a device that we made for a Jumper." Gazzy said proudly. "Maybe I should check it out first." Sheppard said, suspicious.

"No, that's alright, we were just going to test it right now." Iggy said. "Angel taught us how to fly the Jumpers." he added.

"Oh, okay. It's settled then, I'm coming along." Sheppard said.

The two pyros looked at each other for a moment, then nodded. Iggy tackled Sheppard while Gazzy ran up the stairs to the Jumper bay.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sheppard yelled, but it was already too late. A few moments later, the door leading to the Jumper bay opened, and the Stargate began to dial.

"Hit the shield!" Sheppard ordered, and Chuck smacked his hand down over the shield button. The unstable wormhole vortex splashed against the shield, then stabilized. "Can you shut it down?" he asked.

"No sir, the Jumper's DHD is superseding the one here right now." Chuck said.

"Well, at least he can't go anywhere."

Unbeknownst to Sheppard, Gazzy had opened the rear door, and was waiting at the base of the steps for Iggy as the failsafe plan had dictated. Iggy wriggled free of Sheppard's grasp, and dashed down the stairs before disappearing. Gazzy began moving the Jumper, his fingers working levers and buttons professionally, up while the door was closing, and was just in time to have Sheppard miss jumping into the back of the aircraft.

"That was close. Wanna do it again?"

"No, I want to set off my new bomb." Gazzy declared, peering through the front glass. The Jumper cleared the door, and Gazzy accelerated away.

Once the Jumper was suitably far away from the city, Gaz located the autopilot, and opened the rear door. Together, he and Iggy picked up the bomb, and moved over to the door with it.

"On three. One…two…three!" They swung the bomb away from the door and released. As the bomb fell, the two pyro's eyes were locked on a backlit ring on the bomb. It slowly shifted from green to yellow to red. The ring then started to blink, and then the bomb exploded in a flash of brilliant green flame and smoke. Twirling and spiraling as it exploded with enough force to knock the Jumper sideways a bit.

"Totally a twelve!" Gazzy yelled, pumping his fist.

"Yeah! I hate to ask, but what was the green fire?" Iggy responded.

"Oh, that? That was my…special scent."

"Wicked." Iggy breathed. "We should totally build a stink bomb."

"But we'd have to take it to the mainland to set it off. Atlantis would just go into lockdown and vent it out." Gazzy said. "It would be pretty lame."

He turned the Jumper about, and landed without incident.

As the door came down, Gazzy saw Max and Fang standing with Angel, and Sheppard behind them, looking pissed as hell. Gazzy hit the button to make the door close, but Angel seized control of the Jumper's systems through Atlantis' Jumper recharging systems, and the door opened. The door in the middle had closed at the same time, keeping Gazzy and Iggy from retreating into the cockpit and flying away or closing the doors to keep Max at bay.

Sheppard they could deal with, but Angel, with Max and Fang?

Angel used her mind control abilities to 'convince' Iggy and the Gasman that they really wanted to exit the Jumper. Almost reluctantly, the two stepped out of the Jumper, and then everything broke loose, starting with Max.

"I can't believe you tackled him and stole a Jumper to blow up your bomb!" Max yelled, gesturing to Sheppard, her face red as she glared down the two pyres.

"I was enjoying being alone with Max before you two jokers blew that thing up." Fang said.

"I was worried for the safety of this city!" Sheppard added, his face flushed.

Then Angel stepped up.

"You tackled my favorite person, stole one of my Jumpers, and detonated an explosive device near my main tower. You two are grounded for a week after whatever punishment Max and Fang come up with, and after whatever punishment Sheppard dreams up for you. In addition, you will each clean one of the halls that has been water-damaged from the time before the expedition came, prompting my return to the surface. Have I been completely clear?"

The boys nodded, hoping she wouldn't add more.

"Good." Turning to Max, who had a slightly surprised look on her face, she said "I'm taking a Jumper out to the mainland, I'll be back in a week or so. Oh, and would someone tell Rodney that Sheppard is not his personal device activation tool?" So saying, Angel turned, and walked up the ramp into the Jumper.

The door closed, and the Jumper floated up and out of the bay, leaving behind four bird-kids and one Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard watching it with wide eyes.

"I thought being the bad cop was Max's job," Iggy muttered before realized the others, including Max, had heard him. "That does it. You've got three seconds." Iggy and Gazzy looked at each other. "One-," Max didn't even get to two before they were gone.

_Answers to readers because I don't feel like going on some more. Come back next chapter if you need more._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Don't worry, I won't kill myself for the sake of your bugs, though I will bring something in, eventually._

_Jamtd: Q is: Mad, bad, and dangerous to know. At this point, I have no control over what he does, even within the framework of this story._

_Feather-san: I think Q has left…for the time being. As far as the FAX goes, I think that it's a bit better just due to Avenging Angels assistance._

_I'd like to hear Avenging Angels' thoughts on all this, so turning it over to her for the closing._

_And close I shall. So, I don't usually check out the comments on this story because they aren't for me but I heard something about Fax? Well, if you want more all you have to do is ask. Emotions are my thing in this story. Emotions and character descriptions/ interactions. That doesn't change the fact though that Hideout Writer receives all the credit. As he so rightly deserves. So review!_

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_


	33. Slavers!

_I seem to be back at it. Seeing as how I have the office to sit in all day today, I might as well make a chapter of it! One of my readers has been asking for a jab at other factions, so here goes: Never piss off an Ork Warboss._

_Dras-Leona:_

Eragon had ordered Ajax to land out of pity for Saphira, though he would never put it that way. Officially speaking, they had landed because the storm was becoming too dangerous, and night was approaching. They left the Jumper outside the city, and entered the on foot. The storm was bad enough that had Saphira attempted to shelter the two Riders with her wings, she would have been flung hither and yonder by the monumental winds.

Ajax's equipment was concealed within easy reach, just in case anything did manage to happen. Every now and then he would cast a glance towards it but he made no move to retrieve it even when the wind sent rain into his face so hard it stung.

"No offence Ebrithil, what with this being your homeworld and all, but this city gives me the creeps. It reminds me of things best left unremembered." Ajax said, turning his head to look at the other Rider. Eragon glanced at him, he'd been watching the lightning crackling across the sky, and nodded. "Aye, 'tis not the best city to spend the night in, but it is better than nothing." Eragon shifted his grip on his sword, which was concealed as Ajax's weapons were, in easy access.

"We could have spent the night in the Jumper. The food is pretty mean, and the seats aren't exactly comfortable for beds, but it's better than nothing, and doesn't bring me close to the point of puking. On the other hand," Ajax considered, "part of me is hoping that something will happen, something to give an excuse to purge this stench. It gets worse the farther in we go, and it was none too pretty at the gates."

"I had forgotten that you are able to sense when things are greatly amiss." Eragon noted quietly. His eyes flicked back and forth as he tried to identify any dangers.

It came out of nowhere. One moment, the two Riders were walking towards the heart of the city while quietly conversing, the next, some forty slavers had appeared.

"That will be as far as you go tonight." One of the men said, his dark eyes glaring at the two Riders who stopped short.

"What's this?" Ajax asked, his eyes narrowed and a smirk on his face. "The traveling game-show to see who most needs a good scrub down?"

"Silence, slave!" ordered another man, bringing his whip down over Ajax's back.

Ajax arched his back as the whip hit home over his wings. His only audible response to the pain was a gentle hiss that the one holding the whip barely heard. "'Ey, you need to do better than that!" the leader cried. "You don't tickle them with it, you inflict pain! Maybe I should sell you instead of this one!"

The man with the whip brought it down as hard as he could this time, and Ajax whimpered as the shock of the whip was processed by his system, and his wings twitched spasmodically.

"What's this?" the man with the whip said, having seen the movement.

"What?"

"I saw movement, as if he's carrying something on his back."

"Leave him alone!" Eragon said, unable to hold still any longer. He started forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Silence, you!" another slaver said. A moment later, Eragon felt something pierce his neck, and pulled a dart out of his skin.

"Great, just great." he said, before passing out and hitting the ground hard. Ajax looked down at his companion and grimaced as he tried to stand. The pain in his back and wings was excruciating.

"I want to see what he was carrying." the leader said, pointing at Ajax. Two men restrained Ajax while another removed his cloak. As the cloak fell away, Ajax's wings were exposed.

There was a stunned silence as the slavers stared at Ajax. As he was looking at the brown wings with blue tips, the leader said, "We'll never have to do this job again. We're be rich beyond our wildest dreams." After a few more moments of looking at his catch, he got down to business. "Get that gold thing off his neck, we can sell that separately. The same goes for his weapons."

Another man pulled off Ajax's left glove. "He bears the mark! He is a Rider!"

"I can't get the golden thing off of his neck." the whip carrier said. "I can't even get my hands on it."

"No matter. If he is a Rider, then we are even richer than I first guessed, and we can afford to allow all his accoutrements to go with him to his lucky new owner - whoever that may be."

"'Ey, Brandise! What's this?" One of the searchers had found Ajax' headphones and iPod.

The one they called Brandise stepped up, and took the paraphernalia. He held it in front of Ajax, who regarded it with burning eyes. "What is this item of yours? Is it a weapon? Tell me the truth!"

"It is not a weapon, in fact, it is recommended that it remain off the battlefield if one wishes for it to continue to offer good service." Ajax said. "Among the members of my world, it is known as an iPod, and it is used to listen to music."

"How can this be?" Brandise asked, looking suspiciously at the small device.

"Simple, the same power in lightning is used to operate it." Ajax said. He had adopted a light tone, as if he was casually explaining it to a friend.

"You will demonstrate this." Brandise held out the iPod and headphones. Ajax absently noticed that it had stopped raining, but the wind was still high.

Taking the proffered iPod, Ajax slipped the headphones over his neck so that it rested on his shoulders, with the speakers rotated to face out. Scrolling through the list of songs, Ajax pulled up a Dragonforce song, then appeared to decide against it. After a few seconds, Ajax settled on 'Counterstrike' by Sabaton, and the sharp tattoo of the drums thundered through the intro.

Several members of the slaver band tightened their bows, pulling back just a bit farther in case they were called upon to shoot. Brandise made a chopping motion, and Ajax stopped the music.

"What is this?" he said, indicating the P-90 that his men had confiscated.

"That's a weapon. A fully automatic submachine gun that is capable of doing great damage. I don't recommend pointing towards anything you don't want to destroy." Brandise hurriedly pointed the weapon towards the ground as he had had the barrel towards his face as he'd gazed down it. Ajax rolled his eyes but hid it from the men.

"The curved piece of metal is the trigger." Ajax said. "That's what makes the weapon fire." He pulled a nine-millimeter handgun out of a protected holster. "I can demonstrate with this." Taking a bead on the nearby wall, Ajax squeezed the trigger, causing the weapon to fire.

All of Brandise's men fired their bows and crossbows. Two arrows had gone through his skull, one of the crossbow bolts had traveled straight through his heart, and there were several arrows in his lungs and stomach. Ajax was dead before he even hit the ground.

"You fools!" Brandise roared. "That one was going to make us richer than we could have ever dreamed of, and you killed him!"

"I don't think he's dead." One of the men said, looking nervously at the body. White mist had begun to seep from every pore, shrouding Ajax is a protective fog of healing magic.

"Then we may be rich yet." Brandise said, watching intently, his eyes were narrowed. After several seconds, the fog began to dissipate, revealing Ajax whole and healthy once more.

"Did you really have to shoot me?" Ajax snapped, his tone sharp. "I wasn't going to do anything to resist, but now, well let's just say I make a pretty big mess when I play rough!"

Brandise drew his sword, and Ajax deftly pinched him at the wrist, causing him to drop it. A muttered word from the Ancient language brought Eragon out of his drugged sleep and into a battle.

The first thing Eragon saw when he opened his eyes was Ajax wielding the leader's sword, wreaking havoc among the slavers, who didn't have the space they needed to maneuver. He was laughing maniacally as he fought, bringing a crazed appearance to bear on his would-be captors his he slashed the sword through the air too fast for mortal eyes to track.

"Letta Ajax!" Eragon cried. Ajax stopped cold, and looked at Eragon with a question in his eyes. Eragon released him after a moment, and Ajax pulled all his gear together, and put his cloak back on.

"Why did you do that?" Eragon asked, dusting his clothes and Brisingr up from the ground. Despite the fact that the ground was muddy, the sword was glistening as if it'd just been polished.

"Simple," Ajax answered, glowering as he threw the leader's sword down and gathered the rest of his gear. "My freedom and my bodily safety were to be compromised to make someone else rich, and I was given no say in the matter. They knocked you out to deal with later, and to top it all off, they shot me!"

"Well, you're looking good to me, besides the holes and blood stains of course.".

"Pfft, right and you know of my healing capabilities." Ajax said, setting his gun in its holster. "You should talk to Saphira." he added as an after thought. "I heard from Amaranth that she's pretty upset. I did tell Amaranth that we are fine, and I had fun, but I think Saphira might be a wee bit upset with you anyway."

"_Eragon! Every time I let you out of my sight, you find trouble. What have you done this time?"_

Eragon jumped, then answered.

"_I did nothing. We were conversing as we walked toward the heart of the city in search of a place to stay for the night. Slavers jumped out of nowhere, and took us hostage. One of them fired a dart tipped in a sedative agent. Ajax destroyed most of the slavers shortly after waking me up again. Quiet gleefully too, I might add." _Eragon's disgust with Ajax's actions showed in his words, and colored their bond somewhat with his emotions.

"_Peace, little one. He was doing what he felt he must in order to protect himself and you. He should not be blamed for that. I might even give him a kiss for what he did for your protection."_ Saphira said, a deep purr in her 'voice'.

"Hey, Ajax." Eragon said, getting Ajax's attention.

"Hm. Oh, yes, Ebrithil?" Ajax responded, having been jerked from his thoughts.

"Saphira says she might give you a kiss for what you did to protect me." Eragon said lightly, his eyes watching Ajax's face for his reaction.

"I'll run for the hills." Ajax said dryly.

"_I heard that!"_

_Atlantis Star Drive:_

"You know, this is kind of fun." Nikki said.

"How'd you mean?" Emma asked.

"Well, being underwater and fixing stuff that gives feedback on the job being done…you've got to admit it is pretty cool."

"True, I guess it is fun. Hey, have you heard anything from the mainland recently?"

"No…why?"

"Well, I was thinking we could go visit Queen Nasuada. Due to our position, we can pretty much do whatever we want, and if that means sharing tea with the Queen, we can do it." Emma said, grinning at the other girl.

"True. We'd just have to make sure to not spill." Nikki agreed, nodding as she thought it through.

The two mermaids giggled for a few moment over that, and talk shifted to other things.

_Sickbay:_

"Are ye sure ye want to go through with this?" Carson asked. Cleo was sitting on one of the beds, trying to persuade Dr. Beckett to help her in her quest to find out more about mermaids.

"Yes. I'm certain that I want to know more about myself and my friends." Cleo said firmly, her face determined. "We were researching it without success back on Earth, but we were trying to keep it secret then. Can we get on with it?"

"Since you're sure." Dr Beckett said reluctantly he nodded over his shoulder at the door. "I'll get Angel in here, and see how much she can help with the process. Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to be going to the mainland anytime soon, would you?"

Cleo looked confused. "I don't think so, let me check." After several moments, she opened her eyes again. "Yes, we are going out to the mainland in a day or two. Why?"

"Well, I finished that autopsy report that Ajax needed, but he's apparently not answering his radio anymore."

_Okay, I think I'm done now. Anyway, I have two reviews to answer, and then Avenging Angels has the closing. I'm thinking that should be a tradition, but we'll see._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: No, they won't be beat up. Punishment is the mother of invention, so Gazzy will probably come up with something to help him with the hall cleaning. Sheppard is liable to forgive and forget, Max and Fang will probably just ground them for a month and three weeks, and be done with it._

_Feather-san: No, not really. Not to worry though, they haven't killed anyone with their bombs inside this story. (yet) As far as Angel goes, remember that she's linked to Atlantis in a far deeper way than anybody with the ATA gene. For the most part, that wasn't Angel yelling at them, that was Atlantis. Angel's dream is important. If you can guess why, tell me, and you win a prize! Also, have you noticed that I've been using the alternate call-sign of Father-san instead of NinthFeather?_

_And over to Avenging Angels!_

_**I think making it a tradition is a great idea! Well, maybe lol. I don't mind leaving my two cents but hey, that's just me. So, don't forget to R&R people! Hideout Writer and I put a lot of work into these chapters and I know we both hope you enjoy them and get a thrill from reading them. (HoW does all of the work so give him the credit.) As always we enjoy your feedback. It keeps the story interesting because often times we take that feed back and implement it into the story. So, any ideas or comments? Let us hear them!**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Avenging Angels**_


	34. A New Threat this way flies

Okay, I'm ready to throw a new twist into the works due to popular demand. Hang on, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Atlantis Gate Room:

_"Now that that situation with the bomb and the Jumper is all dealt with, can we go on that mission?" John asked, looking into Dr. Wier's office. The Doctor looked up from her paper work and paused, pen in hand. "Yes, but as I said before, be careful. At this point, we're beginning to poke our noses where they don't necessarily belong. At least with all the other worlds we've sent teams to, we've had some idea of what we were looking at. We don't have that here, and frankly, some of the stuff that the people at the SGC were running into was pretty scary. Good luck."_

_"Yeah…" Sheppard didn't look very enthusiastic anymore. "We're taking a Jumper." he said, looking at the rest of the team waiting in the hall._

_"And Ronon? Nothing against your weapon and skills, but I'm bringing an extra squad of Marines. Just in case, you know?"_

_"Yeah, I know." Ronon checked his blaster, then slid it back into the holster with firm nod._

_"Beta Squad, form up on Jumper Nine." Sheppard called into his radio. "We leave in three."_

_Jumper Nine:_

As the last of the Marines bounded up the ramp, John closed the middle doors, and began dialing P3X-779. The instability vortex whooshed from the Stargate just as Sheppard began guiding the Jumper down from the bay. For several long seconds, the Jumper floated just above the floor in front of the Stargate. Almost as if cursing his indecision, John accelerated the Jumper as hard as he could with the drive pods still in, and the Jumper shot through the event horizon. The connection cut off with a snap behind the Jumper, and the Jumper climbed to avoid a dense looking forest.

McKay hooked up his tablet computer to the Jumper's sensors, and began to interpret the data that the Jumper was receiving. His eyes narrowed in concentration and he was lost to his surroundings.

"There seems to be a cave system up ahead…there." McKay said, pointing out the window though he didn't look up. He tapped out a command on his tablet. "There appears to be significant deposits of raw naquada in several caves, and it looks like there might be something living in one of the outlying caves, but my sensors are starting to go haywire, so that might not be right."

"Well, we could use more naquada reactors so we don't wear down those Zero Point things." Sheppard said, tapping a control as he looked towards where McKay had gestured.

The Jumper bleeped obligingly, and drifted lower as Sheppard throttled back to make a slow pass near the caves. "I think it looks good, let's just get out and take a look around. Hopefully we'll get a good resource out of this."

One by one, the members of Beta Squad stepped down the ramp of the Jumper, taking various positions to watch for hostile incursions. Sheppard followed with his team, closing the door after everyone had exited the Jumper.

"Okay." he said, holding up an oddly shaped crystal. "Let's remember where we parked, shall we?" he called with a smirk. The Jumper cloaked, and McKay sent an inquiring look towards the space where the Jumper was parked, then towards Sheppard.

"It's like one of those key fob thingies that they have with some cars, you know, where you push the button, and the doors unlock? Same deal here, according to what Angel told me when she handed it to me."

"Why didn't she tell me?" McKay whined, his face indignant.

"Probably didn't feel like being around you at the time. Can't blame her, sometimes I really don't want to be around people myself." Sheppard replied, and the others around them either snickered or laughed.

"And yet I do not see you remove yourself from the rest of the group to be alone." Teyla said, joining the conversation.

"I'm generally alone when I go to sleep." Sheppard returned. "In fact, I enjoy being alone when I sleep."

"I like being alone when I prepare for battle." Ronon said, sidling up. "The Satedan people used to meditate before combat."

After that, the group walked on in silence, Beta Squad following with only the scuffing of their boots on sand-covered stone to mark their presence. Several minutes were spent in this fashion, then, they came to a fork where four tunnels met at exact right angles. Sheppard left a marker in the cave they had just come out of, and another a bit further back in the tunnel they had just exited. "Okay, that covers that, let's go." Sheppard said, standing up.

"The naquada readings are higher in that tunnel." McKay said, nodding at his scanner. "We should collect a sample for testing."

"Okay, Beta Squad, check out that corridor, meet us back here in…" he looked at his watch. "Ten minutes. And don't get into trouble!" he called after them as they set off.

It wasn't three minutes before all hell broke loose.

McKay had just pried several sample-sized pieces out of the walls and floor and placed them securely in one of his vest pockets when the members of Beta Squad began firing their machine guns. The group snapped to attention.

Ronon readied his blaster, then ran towards the sounds of the firing. Sheppard and the rest of his team followed, weapons at the ready. When they reached the junction, Sheppard saw Beta Squad slowly backing up, firing all the while. Ronon was firing as quickly as he could, but it didn't seem to be having any effect. A piercing wail sounded, and Sheppard's blood ran cold.

"Is that what I think that is?" Teyla asked, looking for the source of the wail, her eyes wide.

"Probably." Ronon grunted, reloading his weapon.

"That's it. Everyone, fall back!" Sheppard yelled.

Together ART-1 and Beta Squad dashed from the cave, being followed by whatever it was in the cave now chasing after them.

Sheppard pulled out the oddly shaped crystal, and the Jumper uncloaked, the door already opening. One of the marines in Beta Squad had a heavy machine gun, and he began laying down what would have been suppressing fire, except for the fact that is was having no effect whatsoever. As soon as he saw the last member of Beta Squad was on the ramp, he began to retreat to the Jumper, firing as he went. The moment he was on the ramp, one of his comrades hit the button to close the door, and Sheppard accelerated away.

The beast wailed hideously again, and the Jumper's lights flickered.

"Oh, that's not good." McKay said, looking down at his tablet as it beeped and lights flashed.

"Ya think, McKay?" John yelled, focused on escaping the beast. "What was that thing?"

"I believe that was the Nagir, a creature of such evil that only the pure of heart could fight it. The creature is said to be able to repel those who harbor evil in their hearts, but cannot stand against the pure of heart. Until now, I had thought it to be a mere tale, told to frighten children." Teyla said, adjusting her pack as she gazed at McKay's tablet.

"The story is similar among the Setedans, except that it was the fiercest of warriors that would take it down, and cowards would flee from it on sight." Ronon said.

"So we need someone who isn't evil, and is a fierce warrior. Right." Sheppard said.

"It would appear so." Teyla agreed.

The beast that was flying behind them appeared to have called the others of it's kind, and there were several Nagira flying at the Jumper from all directions. One of them squealed, and the Jumper's lights flickered. The people inside flinched.

"Whatever that thing is, it seems to have the ability to disrupt our power systems with it's scream, I'm guessing it's a hunting mechanism designed to immobilize prey." McKay said, tapping on his computer which was having to reload.

"I'm going to try to hit one with a drone, see what happens." Sheppard said grimly. As he was speaking, he felt the Jumper extend a drone rack, and thought for it to fire, but nothing happened. He tried again, and again, but nothing happened. "I can't fire drones, the system seems to be down! Prepare to send your IDC, I'm going in as fast as I think I can go without causing damage."

McKay pulled out his GDO, and powered it up. "I'm dialing the 'gate." he said. In rapid fire succession, he punched the varying symbols into the onboard DHD, but did not press the center button. "Ready on your mark."

"Good…Mark!" Sheppard said. McKay instantly slapped down on the center button. The 'gate dialed and McKay waited for three seconds before sending his code. Moments after he did, the Jumper shot through the event horizon.

"Shield!" Sheppard called, the moment the Jumper was clear. "There are hostile life forms on the other side.

A gate technician hit the button for the shield, and a wall of energy sprang into being over the active face of the Stargate. Only one of the Nagira flew through the gate, hitting the shield and bouncing back into the event horizon.

The Jumper settled down on it's designated recharge pad, and shut down. Beta Squad spilled out of the Jumper, followed by McKay and the rest of the ART-1 team.

Dr Wier's office, three hours later:

"So, what did you find, John? You certainly came back in a hurry." Dr Wier said, smiling until she noticed the grim looks on the soldiers' faces.

Sheppard stepped forward, his arms held together in front of him. "We found what Teyla seems to think was a Nagir. I personally saw that it is able to influence the power systems on the Jumper, and it was taking Ronon's blaster like I'd take bb's at fifteen feet."

"That's pretty extreme. What else did Teyla tell you about this thing?" the Doctor asked, her eyes wide.

"Well apparently, the person to take it down needs to be pure of heart, and according to Ronon, the fiercest warrior."

"I don't think we have anyone matching that description on the base." Dr Wier noted.

_But then again, _she thought, and her eyes narrowed..

"While we were there, McKay retrieved a couple samples of naquada from the caves. They're looking at it down in the lab now. Maybe we've stumbled on a good source of the stuff."

"That's good. I'll see what we can do about these Nagir things, and then we should be able to set up more naquada reactors, even some off-world stuff, we should be able to help the rest of the galaxy even more now. Thank you for the intel, I'll be talking to Ajax soon, I think." Dr. Wier directed her attention toward the computer on the desk before her in a clear dismissal.

"I'll see you around." Sheppard said, standing up to leave.

_There's you're new threat, Master of the Blood Wolves, I hope you like it._

_Jamtd: I'll get you some more of that next chapter._

_Feather-san: Glad you aren't dead. His smart-aleck attitude is just part of his personality. It comes from having been around O'Neill and Cameron Mitchell and Sheppard. Those three do it too, in almost every episode. The iPod thing was just a thing of 'hey, we know he's got one, what would the slavers say about it?' The mermaids going to tea with the Queen might end up falling through, due to our latest threat, but you never know. I'm glad the explanation about Angel-city helped, and I think that's all that there is to reply to._

_MotBW: The reference was accidental, and I'm going to have to start saying no one liners. All you gave me was one line plus your typical 10/10 thing at the end._

_I think that's all I've got for you, so as per the latest tradition here at TSoA, Avenging Angels will close. Avenging Angels?_

_**Yo! So I like the new threat personally. I think the Nagir will be quite the catch in this awesome story. Other than that I don't have much to say.**_

_**Peace,**_

_**Avenging Angels**_

_**p.s: R&R!**_


	35. Ellesmera

_Okay, so I've got a nasty headache right now…please forgive me if the chapter reflects it._

Ajax and Eragon arrived in Du Weldenvarden without incident after the run-in with the slavers, and it was with a sigh of relief that Eragon formally requested permission to enter the borders of Ellesméra. Access was granted, and the two Riders entered the city. They wouldn't have cared if anyone came out to greet them, but within five minutes, word of their arrival had spread, and a crowd came out to meet them.

Eragon moaned under his breath, and Ajax cursed silently, trying to come up with a cloaking spell that he could use to hide Eragon and himself. The idea was discarded as he realized that almost everyone present could just use a counter-spell, and find them again…so much for blending in.

"Damn it all," Ajax complained quietly to Eragon. "All I wanted was a place to drop til morning, not a welcoming committee, here to block us from going anywhere meaningful for at least three hours."

"Agreed." murmured Eragon, trying to hide his disappointment. "If you have any ideas, feel free to use them."

"Thanks." Ajax whispered back, his voice sarcastic. "I'll do that."

They stopped whispering about how to evade the welcome party as the crowd descended upon them.

"Welcome, Shadeslayer!" proclaimed an elf with wavy blonde hair. "Welcome Ajax!" If looks could stun painlessly, Ajax would have done so by now. As it stood, he was forced to act polite for the sake of the elven traditions. Helpless to do anything, the two Riders rode the wave as the crowd decided to sweep Eragon and Ajax along to the great feast-hall.

Ajax initiated the traditional greeting with the queen, despite the fact that his social rank would have placed him above her. Her eyes widened fractionally, she returned the greeting then whisked away. Eragon had missed the exchange, and the queen initiated the greeting with him, which he returned.

Almost at once, it was decided that it was a great time to sit, and so everyone sat, leaving Ajax to slump into his chair. He was about to fall to, but a muttered "wait." from Eragon gave him pause. Saphira was positioning herself at the end of the table. Incidentally, no chairs were there before she came, and it seemed that the head of the table was where she was busy parking her enormous bulk.

Several of the elves picked up cakes and the like, and brought them to Saphira, bowing deeply.

Saphira, being the gracious and courteous dragon she was, blew smoke from her nostrils and the awed elves watched as smoke rings drifted lazily to the ceiling. Saphira's eyes glittered as she winked at Eragon.

_"Can I sit in your lap?"_ Amaranth asked, pouncing up on the table. Ajax frowned at her, what kind of table manners were those, but when he saw the excited looks on the elves' faces he realized the Dragons were like gods here. They could get away with murder...

_"I don't see why not."_ Ajax replied, moving back from the table slightly. _"Come on."_ Amaranth jumped up into his lap, and curled herself into a comfortable position. Ajax noted that she was getting rather large. Already her green scales were becoming harder and her leathery wings were at least five feet across. Before long, she would be as big as Saphira.

Ajax glanced towards the sapphire dragon and smirked, the Saphira-worship was coming to a close, and several elves were looking about for Amaranth, so they could give the same treatment to her. Islanzadi was seated across from Eragon, and she looked him straight in the eye as she asked "Where is your pupil's dragon?"

Eragon looked down to where Amaranth had been sitting beside him, almost like a dog, then back to Islanzadi. "I don't know where she went." he said. "She was right here, beside me."

Amaranth chose that moment to poke her head well above the table allowing everyone to see her. Broadcasting to everyone, she said _"Am I in the wrong place?"_ Saphira began laughing in her peculiar way, and speaking only to Amaranth said _"I forgot to tell you. The elves worship dragons, so you can do almost anything you please. I am still your mistress though."_

Islanzadi's eyes had gone as far open as they could. "No, if you want to sit there, then you may sit there." she said, recovering. Eragon looked amused, but Ajax didn't react at all to the goings on.

After some lively point-and-counterpoint discussion with Eragon, the queen turned to Ajax for help.

"Dragon Rider Ajax, what is your opinion about eggs?" she asked. After a moment, she leaned forward. "You've hardly eaten!" she exclaimed, looking over Ajax's full plate.

Eragon turned toward Ajax. "Queen Islanzadi is trying to ask you a question." he said. After a moment, he had a hunch about what was going on. He lightly tapped Ajax on the shoulder, and got no response. He tried a little harder, and Ajax's head just lolled forwards, and a slight snore could be heard.

He turned towards Islanzadi with a slight smile. "I believe he is asleep." he said, amusement showing in his voice. Islanzadi nodded though she looked a bit startled. "May I wake him?"

"You can try." Eragon said. "But I doubt it'll work."

She murmured a line in the ancient language, and the only affect it seemed to have was to create a shield-bubble effect around Ajax. The Queen looked back towards Eragon. "His wards are rather complex." she noted. "Did you teach him that?"

"No, he's something of an oddity, even among the Riders." Eragon said. "He smells things like treachery and other vices, can shape shift, and…" Eragon paused. "He made me promise not to tell what I nearly told."

The queen's chin rose sharply, then dropped in recognition of his promise. "I understand. I shall ask him myself to get the rest of the story."

Just then, her conversation was cut short as Ajax began talking in his sleep.

"No, don't do it! She just a kid, take me instead! I beg of you, stop torturing her!" Ajax's anguished cries were heard at all corners of the table, and curious eyes turned towards the high end of the table.

"He's asleep." Eragon explained. "And he has some pretty bad dreams."

_"That's it."_ Amaranth informed Eragon, her bright eyes glowing in the fire light. _"I'll not put up with it anymore. I will ease his dreams, or wake him up so we can get him to a bed." _Eragon nodded. Turning towards the Queen, he said "Amaranth is going to wake him up, or at least sooth his dreams. Where will he be staying?"

"Gladesong, I want you and Featherwind to take Ajax to the guest quarters we have prepared for him. Amaranth, his dragon, is going to attempt to wake him, but if she cannot, you may need to carry him." Turning towards Eragon, she added "It is done. When he wakes, he will find himself in a guest house we have for visitors. Somewhat more permanent arrangements can be made later."

"That's fine. I've been around him for quite some time now, and he really doesn't care for all the niceties. He seems to have an appreciation for honest, straightforward discussion, and as far as I can tell, doesn't particularly seem to care about what arrangements are made, so long as he's got a place to sleep and study, and plenty of food."

The Queen nodded, her eyes gazing at Ajax's nightmare ridden face as his dreams wore on. "So it shall be."

_Ajax's dreams:_

_He was in a crate that was a bit too small for him to comfortably cram himself into. Beside him was an empty crate, where a young girl, no more than four years old had previously taken up residency. She had three percent lizard in her DNA, resulting in her skin being more like scales than skin. She was cold-blooded, and had a small fan along her back that she could extend to aid in the warming of her blood._

_Earlier four whitecoats had taken her away, to test her 'cold speed'. They would send her into a freezer, and not let her out for five minutes. They would then send her into a maze, and have her run from one end to the other as quickly as she could. Most of the floor was spiked, and the spikes had electricity running through them. After each run through, they would send her back into the freezer while they set the next one up._

_The unspoken test was of Ajax's sympathy. Just as the lizard/human hybrid was finishing with her third run, a large, green lizard the size of a German Sheppard puppy appeared. The whitecoats looked up, startled by her sudden appearance._

_Ajax had been bound with chains to the wall so he couldn't interfere, but forced to watch what had been happening. As soon as he saw Amaranth, his struggles died down, and he relaxed considerably._

_"Peace, little one." Amaranth said, her eyes staring straight into his own._

_The girl looked a lot less scared, and sidled over to the small dragoness. Noting the fact that the girl was cold, Amaranth twisted her head such that she was looking straight at the girl, and blew a long blast of hot air towards the girl. The child turned so that the fan on her back would catch the warm blast of air, and spread it as far as the spines in the fan would allow._

_As soon as Amaranth felt that the girl had been warmed enough, she turned her attention to Ajax._

_"I am NOT in favor of seeing you like this." she rumbled, glaring at the chains that bound her Rider. "Can you break free?"_

_"No," Ajax struggled then dropped his arms. "They bound me with chains that have enough strength to hold the space shuttle in place. I can't do anything towards breaking free."_

_"Then I shall break you free." Amaranth said, padding forward._

_As she walked towards her bound Rider, the girl she had warmed gripped one of her spines, and walked with her. Knowing how frightened the child must be, she drew a protective wing over the girl._

_After she found the lock, she breathed out with a ferocious intensity, coating the lock in crystallized green fire. Ajax twisted his head away as the heat burnt his skin. Within seconds, the lock gave up the fight under the massive amounts of heat combined with the pressure being exerted against the shank. Within two minutes, Ajax was completely freed from the chains, and he stretched, eliciting a series of pops in his neck and back._

_A door appeared out of nowhere, and opened to a blinding whiteness. Ajax boldly stepped through, followed by Amaranth and the young girl. It had been eight hours since Ajax first fell asleep at the elven feast table._

_Ajax's guest quarters:_

The elves had laid Ajax on his side, and Amaranth was lying beside him, sharing his dreams. At the same time that Ajax had stepped through the door in his dreams, the young girl that had followed them through appeared, clutching one of Amaranth's spikes.

Mere moments later, Ajax's eyes drifted open. Beside him, Amaranth was waking up as well.

_"Um, Ajax?" _Amaranth asked, her head cocking to the side. _"Do characters featured in your dreams typically show up in the real world, or are we still dreaming?"_

Ajax's eyes opened fully, and he blinked a couple of times as he processed what she had just said. _"No…they don't typically do that. Maybe Q did this."_

Amaranth snaked her head to the young girl's face, and ever so gently licked her with the very tip of her tongue, where there weren't any barbs. Seeing as how Amaranth was laying on one side of the bed, with someone clinging to her, Ajax rolled off the bed the other way, but miscalculated, and ended up kissing the floor after managing to emit a startled yelp.

After brushing himself off, Ajax stared at the girl lying on the bed beside Amaranth. She was young, and had dark brown hair and light cream colored scales.. Bruises coated her arms and scars ran up and down her legs and back. As he watched she shivered and her scales rippled. Amaranth snuggled closer to her and gazed down at the girl with an expression Ajax had never seen on her face though it reminded him surprisingly of Max. It was almost…motherly.

Ajax shook his head and performed his Spartan morning routine, then stepped out of the cottage-like tree that would serve as his home while he was in Ellesméra. He was met at the door by Gladesong, who asked about the noise.

"Oh, I rolled off the bed backwards, and kissed the floor, which was not my intention. There is a very young visitor here, and Amaranth seems to have taken a shine to her, so…" Ajax spread his hands in a 'I don't know gesture'.

Gladesong nodded. "I see. Have you recovered from your dream?"

"Yeah." Ajax responded, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to hide his embarrassment from the elf. "I feel great, but the visitor I told you about is from my dream, and is a human/reptile hybrid, so she's a bit different, and she's never seen the outdoors before, having been raised -and tortured- in a laboratory building." Ajax paused and glanced back inside. "I don't know what she'll do now."

_Answers to readers: _

_Feather-san: I've decided I like calling you Feather-san rather than NinthFeather, so that's what I'll do. Anyways, I'll make it easy for you, since I can't follow you philosophizing. Max is the essence of bravery, and any one of the four in the pool on Mako during the trans-galactic shift would count for the pure of heart. Good enough for you? Good._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: You like suitably violent don't you? Well, I guess I can't blame you, you were probably raised on Warhammer 40k and Dragonforce. I was raised on Disney crap. As for the appropriate application of a rather powerful DR, I think I'll have somebody other than you might think deal with the bastards. You have three guesses, and then if you still don't have it right, I'll just have to tell you…in the next chapter. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-*hack* *cough*_

_And Avenging Angels gets to close today!_

**SUMMER IS HERE!**

**Nuff said.**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	36. One fateful morning

_Ready? Good, let's go run another chapter._

After talking with Gladesong, who had been posted directly outside his door, Ajax went to hunt up his breakfast.

Breakfast, turned out to be six eggs and three potatoes. After gathering a bucket full of berries, Ajax returned to his cottage to whip up breakfast. Gladesong wasn't anywhere to be seen, but Featherwind was still posted by his door.

"Good morning." Ajax said, skipping the greeting.

Featherwind responded in kind, also forgoing the traditional greeting. "What do you have there, Dragon Rider Ajax?" he asked, the elf's green eyes peering down at the items Ajax had procured. "Breakfast." Ajax stated bluntly. "Six eggs, three potatoes, and a variety of berries." He ducked inside the cottage, finding Gladesong there with Amaranth and the lizard hybrid.

After a cursory glance to see that all was well, Ajax chose to ignore the…girl, for the time being, and focus on breakfast instead. Noting a distinct lack of a stove or any similar device, Ajax pulled a lightweight camping stove out of his backpack.

"So much you can do with food." he said to himself. "If you only have heat!"

While he had been chopping, Gladesong came to what Ajax assumed was the kitchen, and asked what he was doing.

"I'm whipping up my breakfast." he said proudly.

"But, you are a Dragon Rider, you could just ask, and food would be brought to you." Gladesong said, seeming confused.

Ajax paused in his chopping to think about it, knife suspended three inches from the cutting board. "Yes I could." he said at last, turning to look at the tall elf. "But what would be the fun in that?" He continued chopping until he was satisfied.

"You like cooking?" Gladesong asked, incredulous, her eyes narrowing. Ajax ignored the look and said, "Yeah, when I'm not under pressure. If I'm under pressure to get something just right, or by a certain time, odds are, I'll forget some key ingredient and it won't come out right. I get up in the morning so I can make my own breakfast because I can." Ajax shrugged as he mounded the potatoes all together. "I find it highly relaxing, and I'll be damned if I'll let someone take that away from me just because I'm a Dragon Rider."

"Well, you've certainly convinced me." Gladesong said, placing her hand on her chest over her heart in a sign of peace. "But why you would cook your food in the bathroom is beyond me." She walked off after dropping that bombshell, leaving Ajax to think about it for several moments. "She has a point." he said to himself.

After gathering the chopped potatoes and berries into a bowl, Ajax found a larger bowl, and beat the eggs in it before dumping the potatoes and berries into the eggs and mixing well. Ajax then took a large nonstick pan out of his pack, and took it outside along with the camp stove.

Featherwind watched with narrowed eyes as Ajax waved a match near the burned affixed to the top of the fuel canister, causing a slight flare of flame before it settled into a smooth burn.

"You should be more careful with fire." he said, looking suspiciously at the stove. "I have seen it used to destroy much. Including my people."

"Trust me, I've been working with this little jobie for four years now, using it nearly every day, except when there was no occasion to. I know what I'm doing." Ajax responded though not unkindly, moving the food around on the pan.

The elf didn't seem convinced, but let the matter drop. As soon as he was done, he shut off the stove, and brought the steaming pan of food back into the cottage, where he set it down on top of a cork hot-pad so he could serve up. He split the food into two equal portions, and brought the food to the bedroom, where he found Gladesong trying all manner of communication forms to sooth the frightened girl who'd finally woken.

Ajax sighed, then in the language of truth said "I am a friend, and I have brought you some food."

The girl looked at Ajax warily, then walked over to him, where he had knelt down to her level. She took the plate of food cautiously, then backed up a few steps before climbing up on the bed.

Gladesong was about to scold her for being on a Dragon Rider's bed, but Ajax said, "Let her be. She's been through a lot, and I don't particularly care for the idea of everything I touch becoming sacred or whatever just because I'm a Dragon Rider."

Amaranth agreed, moving her head up and down three or four times. A moment later, she snaked her head over to Ajax's arm, and licked him with the tip of her tongue, luring him closer.

Ajax sat down on the bed, and Amaranth wasted no time in taking half of her Rider's breakfast.

_"Hey! That was my breakfast!" _Ajax said, glaring at the green dragon.

_"Oh, I'm sorry." _Amaranth replied, grinning as she licked her lips. _"I could give it back if you want." _Her head began moving weirdly, as if she was about to disgorge the food she had just taken.

_"No, you've touched it, just keep it." _Ajax said, sighing.

Gladesong looked concerned about Amaranth's motions, and Ajax explained. "She was entertaining the idea of giving back the portion that she took."

Gladesong laughed then, a sweet, musical laugh, and the young girl hummed in response though she didn't look up.

After breakfast, Ajax walked outside, bearing Amaranth on his shoulders.

_"So, what should we call the hybrid that showed up?" _Ajax asked.

_"Well, that's an interesting question." _Amaranth replied. _"We could call her cream-scales, or tortured one, or lizard child or…well there's a lot of things we could call her."_

Ajax pulled out a small handheld computer, and began a search for 'lizard' in all languages. Finally, he came up with a name he thought would be suitable. _"Savra." _he said. _"Greek word meaning 'lizard', but in this language, it seems pretty enough to be used for a girl's name, and I think it would fit. What do you think?"_

_"Hmm. An interesting idea. I like it." _Amaranth hummed appreciatively as Ajax scratched at the corner of her jaw.

He had been walking to the Stargate so he could give Atlantis his report, and get an update from their end. Just as he was about to reach for the DHD button, he heard a loud whistling noise, and looked up, startled. An odd, streaky silver tunnel seemed to have attached itself to the Stargate, and it appeared to be the source of the high pitched whistling. Right after it started up, the tunnel seemed to destabilize, shifting, and distorting like an image on a tv might while someone plays with the satellite dish.

Eventually, though, it stabilized, and with a sudden whoosh and a snap, an imposing figure strode out of the tunnel.

He was tall, and well built, as well as rather handsome, and wearing a grey cloak. At his hip was a flint-grey, hand-and-a-half sword, with a large diamond in it's hilt. Perching on his shoulder was a small, long-bodied dragon. The dragon was a lustrous, silvery grey, it's feet were like those of a falcon, or similar bird of prey, while it's fore-claws were more like hands, albeit, with razor-sharp talons for nails. Instead of spikes, a line of dark grey fur stretched from just behind it's long, smooth, curved horns, all the way down to it's feather like tail-tip, which was the same color as it's fur.

Ajax watched them in shock but once he registered what he'd seen it was too late, they'd gone. With the tunnel no longer there, Ajax went back to the DHD, and pushed the button. The 'gate dialed, and stabilized into a wormhole to Atlantis.

"Atlantis, this is Ajax, do you read me?" he said, talking into his radio.

"Yes, we read you." came Dr. Wier's disembodied voice. "What's going on over there?"

"Well, in the time since my last check-in, I had a run-in with a group of about forty slavers, after that we got to Ellemera, there was a huge party, but I don't remember much of it, and just now, some guy just stepped out of a weird, streaky tunnel that seemed to attach itself to the gate."

"That's what I was asking about." Dr. Wier said, her voice sounding serious over the line. "We had a streaky, whistling tunnel appear over our 'gate just before you dialed. It flickered like it was unstable, and we lost power in the Control Room while it was happening."

"Oh, I bet Angel was really pleased about that." Ajax responded dryly.

The stranger who had stepped out of the tunnel reappeared suddenly and looked at the radio in Ajax's hand. "My I use that for a moment?" he asked.

"Sure." Ajax said, hiding how startled he was that the man had reappeared without his knowledge, and handed over the small device.

"My name is Aragon the Grey." the stranger said into the radio. "I am the one who created that tunnel, and I am sorry for any interference I may have caused. Is your Stargate located somewhere else on this world by any chance?"

Dr. Wier's voice came back at once. "Is Ajax unharmed?"

"I did not harm him, I just borrowed his vox for a moment."

"Yes, our 'gate is located on this world, about two clicks off the coast. What is a vox?" Dr. Wier asked.

"The device I'm using to talk to you is a vox." Aragon said, sounding slightly confused.

"Oh, you mean the radio." Dr. Wier said, understanding.

Aragon turned towards Ajax. "You call this a radio?"

"Walkie-talkie, technically, but yeah, we refer to them as radios." Ajax explained

"Oh." Then Aragon noticed the headphones that Ajax was wearing. "You listen to music?"

"Yeah. I've got artists like Hammerfall, Sabaton, Dragonforce, Nightwish, that sort of thing."

"You listen to Dragonforce?" Aragon asked.

"Yeah. There a problem with that?" Ajax responded. The stanger, Aragon, shook his head.

"Mind sharing?"

Ajax merely grinned, and pulled up his most recent setlist. After stabbing the play button with near murderous intensity, a soft piano began the introduction of a song. After several measures, the singer took a breath, and began:

"Full the moon, the midnight sky

Through the dark they ride

Warriors of forever will sacrifice the night

One for all and all for one

The future time has come

Faces filled with torment

Your heart beats like a drum

Never you will look back again

You'll fight on 'til the end

Together we will live on forevermore…

In this land we have defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we are defenseless in a land where dragons rule

In this land we have defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we are defenseless in a land where dragons rule

Dragons rule!

Flash of steel in the mid-day sun

The battle has begun

Blood spills all around us but still we carry on

No mercy we will show them now

The white flag shall be raised

We'll fight for our freedom

Ride towards this evil place

We all stand until the end

allegiance to this game

In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule

In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule

Sun set in the western sky

The battle's almost done

The victory will be glorious

Our enemies are gone

We all stand until the end

allegiance to this game

In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel

lNow we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule

In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule

[Solo]

In this land we've defended from all things dark and cruel

Now we're defenseless in a land where dragons rule!"

"An apt song to choose." Aragon said. _"You see, Thelduin? Not everyone considers it crap!"_

_"Hmm." _the dragon said, her eyes flickering over Ajax and Amaranth. _"I consider it crap, and that's all that matters."_

"Not to bother you or anything," Ajax said. "But I was just on my way to Rhonon's forge. I wouldn't mind having company."

"Sure, I will accompany you." Aragon said.

After a few minutes of walking, Ajax turned his head aside, and took a deep breath, then continued walking.

"What was that about?" Aragon asked.

"What are Chaos Marines?" Ajax asked in reply.

Aragon's eyes bugged out a little bit, before he replied. "Chaos Marines are Space Marines that have elected to join a galactic force known collectively as Chaos. They are twisted versions of themselves, bearing corrupted weapons, and they live only for their foul Chaos masters, the Chaos gods."

"And how close to actual deity-ship are these Chaos gods? I ask because there is…was a race of parasites in the Milky Way Galaxy called the Goa'uld. They set themselves up as gods, but were just aliens with powerful technologies that anyone with naquada in their blood from having a Goa'uld or Tok'ra in their head could use."

"And the difference between a Goa'uld and a Tok'ra is…what exactly?" Aragon asked.

"The Tok'ra were a resistance movement that opposed the Goa'uld System Lords. The main difference besides that is that a Tok'ra symbiot almost never takes a host without permission. Another thing is the fact that the Tok'ra do not use a Sarcophagus, which is a healing chamber that allows for near immortality with the price of loosing the good in the person using it." Ajax explained.

Aragon blinked for a moment. "Okay." he said.

"Who or what is Horus?" Ajax asked quietly.

"How do you know these names?" Aragon asked accusingly. "Are you in league with them? Because if so…" his hand gripped his sword and pulled it out a few inches.

"Keep your hat on." Ajax said. "Or maybe I should say sword in your sheath. I don't know much about these names, but I smell traces of them in the wind. It's an ability I have, and I'll gladly explain it to you if you will promise me an unbreakable promise that you'll tell no one what I'm about to tell you."

Aragon considered the request, trying to think through any ulterior motives the kid might have. Cussing softly, he did what the impudent kid had asked of him.

"Good." Ajax said, satisfied. "I was in the moonpool at the time of the black sun. During the shift, I became immortal, gained the ability to smell things that most others can't smell, and the ability to do magic far beyond that of any elf. I don't technically have to eat or sleep anymore, but I do it anyway."

Aragon filed the information away for use at a later date. "Horus led the Horus Heresy." he said.

"Great, just what I need, more religious wars. I thought I left all that shit in the Middle East on Earth." Ajax complained crossly. Aragon just shook his head at the younger Rider's theatrics.

"Cut the crap." he ordered. "I'm not here to put up with your theatrics, though I honestly didn't expect the Chaos Marines to be here so soon. My sources had them coming here in another six months."

"Well, looks like I'll have to upend the whole can." Ajax said. "I had been doing some R&D for a new tool of sorts, but…with a threat like this, so soon…I'll have to build now, work out kinks later, if I survive that long, which I will." Ajax said the last part with the smugness that comes with being completely immortal.

Aragon just shook his head. _"That's why it's considered crap, Soul-friend. Because almost everyone who listens to it is nowhere close to the mainstream of society, no matter what society they happen to be in." _Thelduin said. Aragon looked at her, eyebrows cocked. _"Nowhere close to mainstream?"_

_"With the exception of yourself of course." _Thelduin purred smoothly.

Aragon left the matter, knowing that their views on music would never match on that count. 21st century Justin Bieber on the other hand…they both agreed that his music stank to high heaven, and nothing could be done about it.

The four arrived at Rhonon's forge, and Rhonon stepped out, having noted their approach to her forge.

"Let me guess." she croaked. "You," she pointed at Ajax. "are looking for a weapon, and you, Aragon, have either managed to dent the sword I gave you so long ago, lost it, or just want to visit me for a reason unrelated to your sword. Am I right?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for a pair of long knives with a one-foot hilt each, and an interlocking pommel on each." Ajax said, looking Rhonon straight in the eye. "I was told you could help?"

"Aye, I can help." she started walking back to her forge. "But should I?" she rounded on Ajax suddenly. "Tell me that. Why should I loose yet another reaper of lives?" Her eyes drilled into Ajax's and even he quailed before their intensity.

"Because I'm like Eragon." he replied, after several long moments. "With exception to the fact that I can't do something I would know to be wrong. It's related to the magic event I'm sure you noted during the solar eclipse?"

"I don't know what that means, unless you are referring to the darkness that covered the sun at midday some time ago."

"That's the one." Ajax confirmed.

"Then you are one with the gift -and the curse- of water?" Rhonon asked, deadly quiet.

"Yes." Ajax returned, equally quiet.

She was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. "Very well. I will do ask you have asked. Aragon the Grey," she called, raising her voice once more. "Why have you come here?"

"To visit the one elf in all of Ellesmera that I know cares nothing for ceremony." Aragon said.

"I see." Her eyes flicked to Aragon's scabbard. "Your sword, may I see it?"

"Sure." Aragon replied, drawing his sword. He handed it to the smith with something approaching reverence.

She took the sword, and slashed with it a few times, spun it, and then looked down the length of the blade on both edges. "You have kept it well." she said, looking pleased. She handed it back to Aragon, who slid Illumeo back into it's sheath.

"Now, Ajax, let's see about those knives you wanted."

"I will go back now. To the girl." Amaranth announced. Ajax nodded and tossed her into the air so that the little green dragon spread her wings and disappeared down the trail, elves bowing at her as she passed.

As Ajax followed the elven smith into the atrium of her forge, a cool shadow spiraled overhead, landing nearby. It was Thelduin, but far larger than Ajax had seen before. "Props." Ajax said, before ducking over to a workbench.

_Ajax's elven cottage:_

Savra and Amaranth were curled up together on Ajax's bed, the young hybrid wrapping her arms around Amaranth possessively, as if to assure herself that Amaranth would always be there for her.

Gladesong still wasn't thrilled about the idea of some newcomer staying in a Rider's dwelling, on aforementioned Rider's bed, but as both Rider and dragon had permitted it, she saw no reason to attempt to change the situation.

Amaranth had been purring, but she shifted intensity at odd intervals to keep the young girl at ease as much as possible.

Suddenly, there was an odd magical signature, one that Amaranth had never felt before. It was strong, proud even, but controlled. As she contemplated the signature, a small, long-bodied dragon whip curled through the air, coming to rest on the foot of Ajax's bed.

Savra woke, having felt the bed shift as Thelduin landed. Her eyes landed on the small, grey dragon, and she moved so that Amaranth was between her and the interloper.

A brief probe from Thelduin, so light that none save an experienced magic-user would detect, told Thelduin all she needed to know, and more. In response, she began radiating feelings of peace, safety, and contentment.

Having soothed the human-like girl, Thelduin turned to the young dragon she had come to teach.

_"Hold still." _she ordered, placing her paws on Amaranth's head. As she conveyed the information, a sensation began to build up in Amaranth, and when Thelduin released her, Amaranth sneezed so mightily that she wound the steel bedpost with crystallized fire. It melted the rod in a matter of seconds, and Thelduin looked impressed.

_"My turn." _Amaranth said. She placed her forelegs on Thelduin's head, and transferred the information required to use crystallized fire as instinctually as Thelduin grew or shrunk.

With that over, Thelduin nosed at the four year old human/lizard hybrid. Examining Savra's memories, a profound sorrow settled over Thelduin, and through Thelduin, Aragon.

_Rhonon's Forge:_

"Damn!" Ajax swore. He had felt what Amaranth had felt, and had the same sneezing reaction. He tried to hold it back, but it exploded out of him, a roiling wall of flame exploding out of his mouth. It didn't catch the grass on fire, but still startled the three people standing in the atrium.

Ajax staggered bleary-eyed around the atrium for a few moments, locked in the aftermath of the massive sneeze. Rhonon had a mask of indifference over her features, but Aragon had openly stared when Ajax had, for all intents and purposes, breathed fire.

"How did you do that?" he asked, standing back slightly from the younger Rider.

"I don't know." Ajax admitted. "To my knowledge, I've never breathed fire before. While we be all up here forging it up _**yo**_, we might as well make another one of those steel corner posts that were on my bed. Amaranth sneezed so hard she wrapped one in crystallized fire." As Ajax finished speaking, he noticed Aragon crying. Of all the things he ever thought he would see, this was not one of them. Knowing it was probably due to the link between him and Thelduin, and knowing Thelduin was with Savra…Ajax put the pieces together. "Her name is Savra." he said to Aragon. "The human/lizard hybrid is named Savra."

Aragon nodded. "Greek for lizard, yet pretty enough to use for the name of a person." He wiped his eyes and coughed. "Well, close, to a person."

_Answers to Readers, due to the fact that I just can't keep going anymore with this chapter._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I'm hoping I kept your flagship character in character._

_The crystal fire, until it debuted, was just in our idea-bouncing. The whitecoats were hiding, and it was Q that did that, not the demons…on second thought, it's probably the same difference, except for the fact that Q is (sort-of-semi-if-he-has-to-be) benevolent. I wouldn't stretch that one too far, it would snap. I honestly wasn't expecting that to go down the way it did either, but it happened, so now it's published. You like how that works?_

_Jamtd: Read above reply._

_Feather-sensei: the escapee will not play a big part in things, disappearing into the background after five chapters or so, coming out again from time to time, but not as much as Ajax or Eragon or anybody else._

_GallifreyanGhostGirl: I find it interesting that you enjoy the same music as I do…Ajax is (to a degree) an extension of me. Angel seemed to be the best choice…could you really imagine The Gasman as Atlantis' AI? I shudder to think of the prospect._

_And now, Avenging Angels has closing._

_**Gazzy's more of a boom boom guy. He likes blowing things up with his pyro in crime. Angel was the right choice for that. The only other person who could have achieved it would have been Nudge for her technical prowess shown in the books. But Angel's the special one as far as gifts go. She seems to be tuning up to Atlantis just fine.**_

_**As always R&R**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Avenging Angels**_


	37. Returning with a weapon

_Okay, let's see what's scheduled for today's chapter…oh, there's supposed to be a battle, Ok, I think I can do that…although I have a couple other things I must deal with before I can get to that part…alright, let's do this thing!_

As with Eragon and his blade, Rhunon was temporarily commanding Ajax's body to do the parts she had sworn she would never do. The brightsteel had taken on an emerald green hue, and the shape of each blade was well defined when Rhunon finally released Ajax.

The moment her consciousness broke contact with his own, Ajax slumped sideways, and would have bought the farm for an hour or two had Aragon not moved to prop up the youth long enough to get him back to his lodge.

As Aragon rounded the corner with Ajax, the two elves that had been standing guard took notice, and ran forward. Curiosity reigned in their eyes but they held back the questions circulating in their eyes long enough to help bring the Rider to his bed. Savra was laying down, and Ajax was still awake enough to know where he was.

"Don't disturb her." he said, his voice tired. "There's a hammock in my pack, it's tucked into a small blue and red sack. I'll sleep in that." Surprised, one of the two elves moved to find the hammock in question.

After the hammock was hung and Ajax got into it, he had barely moved to a position he found to be the most comfortable before promptly going to sleep.

Aragon shook his head in disbelief, then looked at the young human/lizard hybrid. Savra was sleeping quietly, hugging Amaranth as close as possible without actually hurting either of them. Amaranth, for her part, had draped a wing as far around Savra as she could, trying to keep the young hybrid warm.

After a few moments, Aragon quietly turned and left the lodge, lost deep within his own thoughts.

In the lodge, Ajax slept soundly until approximately five AM Atlantis time, when his mobile iPod dock started up with music. For the second morning in a row, Ajax kissed the floor immediately after getting out of bed.

_"Ajax? Could you turn off that racket? I think it's disturbing Savra." _Amaranth said. She had been jolted into wakefulness by the feeling of her Rider hitting the floor, which reverberated through their link for several seconds. The young dragon shook her head and looked at her Rider, flicking her tail slightly.

Ajax complied, shutting off the flow of Sabaton war-metal music.

After dealing with his Spartan morning routine, Ajax made pancakes for breakfast, sharing his breakfast with Aragon who had come to see if he were awake. After bringing a plate full of steaming pancakes to Savra, who shyly accepted it, and giving Amaranth seven more pancakes, Ajax sat down with the Grey Rider, and together they ate.

"So tell me." Ajax said between bites, flicking his fork. "Where all have you been; what all have you done?"

Aragon didn't look up from his plate as he answered. "I've been to many places, fought in many wars. It's not so fun as you might think, traveling through the multiverse." He continued eating.

"You know, you seem familiar somehow. Have I met you somewhere? Sometime before yesterday?"

"I don't know." Aragon said, finishing his last pancake. "I do remember a ship that almost seemed like it was following me around through a few different realities. A ship named _Phoenix_ if I recall correctly."

His announcement had a profound effect on Ajax. "So you're the one." Ajax whispered. "I never would have thought it."

"Never would have thought what?" Aragon asked, having heard Ajax's whispers.

"I had a ship named _Phoenix_. It was a BC-3"

"-oh-four, Daedalus-class starship!" the two finished together.

They stared at each other.

"I remember now. You were looking for some item called the Infinatus?"

"Yup, that's the one. That's done now, and I'm retired from the SGC, no longer a member of their flagship team. I never did truly mesh well with them, especially after Vala Malderan came back."

"Vala? As in, _the_ Vala Malderan, thief and seductress who was at one point Ka'tesh?" Aragon asked in disbelief.

"The same. How do you know her?"

"Oh, the usual, I'm guessing. She stole a ship, figured out how to work it, and led half the Imperium of Man on a merry chase halfway across the known galaxy."

"Odd. I never would have thought she would go there."

"Why?" Aragon demanded, setting down his fork rather loudly causing Savra to flinch and Amaranth to glare at the two men for disturbing them both. This went unnoticed by the men however.

"She never seemed to be the type that would willingly throw herself into the most dangerous place in the multiverse that I could think of." Ajax responded calmly though rather crossly.

"Hmm. I guess it is at that. What's next? This seems to be your own special little show, so what do you have planned today?"

Ajax ignored the evident sarcasm in Aragon's voice. "I need to see Rhunon again, maybe get a pair of long knives. I then need to go back to Atlantis, and rush production of the _Lyrical Fire_, hopefully, I'll put the whole damned thing together right the first time, and not blow half the city into the new year seven months early. I also need to see about Savra. She can't stay here forever, and she's not very trusting of anyone other than Amaranth. I can barely get her to accept food from me." Ajax sighed but a sudden thought came to mind and he glanced at the girl who looked up at him as he spoke though his voice was directed towards Aragon. "Maybe Max will take Savra under her wing, so to speak."

He picked up the dirty dishes, and murmured a litany over them that cleansed them and sanitized them. "What do you have planned?"

"Well," Aragon said, "I need to find out what all has happened since I left, and get everyone briefed about Chaos." Aragon snorted derisively and continued. "That'll be a shitstorm and a half. I also need to see what sort of defenses everybody has that could possibly be used against Chaos, and see to that situation about there being two Stargates on the planet. My transport spell has never been the safest way to get here, but with my spell being forced to differentiate between two different 'gates, it can be quite deadly. I'll have to put something over the other 'gate that I can use to key off against so that doesn't happen again."

"Well, I need to go to Atlantis myself, so you could come with me, and begin your appraisal there. After we're done, we could take a Jumper around, and examine everything from above, seeing things from a tactically superior perspective would be helpful."

"True. So what are you going to do now?"

"Well," Ajax said. "Right now, I'm headed for Rhunon's forge, then I'm headed for the 'gate. You could go ahead of me, or we could go together, and take the Jumper when we leave Atlantis."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you by the Stargate then." Aragon said, rising to leave.

Ajax walked out, letting Aragon deal with the door on his way out. When he arrived at Rhunon's forge, he found the old smith standing at the head of the path, looking happier than she had yesterday.

"I find that the pair of long knives I have created are by far the best I have ever made of their type." Rhunon croaked, her eyes bright yet still holding that same fiery spirit she was notorious for.

"I tried blacksmithing once before." Ajax said. "but not quite on this scale. What've you got?"

"Come and see." As Rhunon led Ajax into her workspace, Ajax noticed a heavy wool blanket laying on the bench. Rhunon flipped the blanket over, revealing a stunning matched pair of long knives. They were a deep emerald green, just as Amaranth's scales were, with black oak covering the metal core of the handles.

"May I?" Ajax asked, gesturing at the blades.

"You may." Rhunon said. "I give them to you, knowing that you will use them only as needed."

Ajax picked up on of the knives, and examined the hilt. There was no pommel like Eragon's blade had, just an odd metallic protrusion coming out from the base of the hilt. It was cylindrical, with what looked like a second cylinder welded to one side, though done so elegantly that it looked natural.

An examination of the other confirmed that there was a hole with a groove in it for the protusion of the first knife to enter.

Ajax carefully fitted the two together, then twisted. Now that the blades were locked together as one, Ajax spun the weapon about, moving through a series of forms that would never have worked with any regular sword.

"Try it on those." Rhunon said, gesturing at a stand of iron rods.

Ajax spun about, nearly collided with two separate trees, then sliced the rods in half while performing a Matrix-worthy slide.

"I'd never be so grandiose in combat." Ajax said, pleased as he held the swords before him with his arms out. He glanced at the old elf. "But this works well with me. Thank you."

"You must name it before it is to be complete." Rhunon said. "And I have never sent forth a Rider with a nameless weapon."

"Very well." Rhunon said. "Sverd! Eka nama ono Du Eld Jeirda!"*

"An interesting name." A wordless spell, and the appropriate glyphs were scribed on the blades and scabbards that had been made, and Rhunon handed Ajax the scabbards. Ajax accepted the scabbards, and gently slid them over the blades. After that was done, Ajax thanked Rhunon for her hard work, and bade her farewell, walking back to his temporary lodge deep in thought.

Once back in his lodge, Ajax rolled up his pant legs so they were clear of his knees, and strapped the scabbards to his legs. That done, he rolled his pant legs down over the scabbards, and cut a slit in each leg, then slid the knives home.

He had already packed, and after saying goodbye to the elves that had been his personal guard detail, walked to the Stargate with Aragon and the two dragons with them.

Directly behind the Stargate, Ajax uncloaked the Jumper, and opened the door. As Ajax walked into the Jumper, the lights began coming on of their own accord, and Aragon looked on from the ramp.

"What is this thing?" Aragon asked, as Ajax sat down.

"This is a Jumper, designed by the same people who built the Stargates. It's purpose is to be a shuttlecraft that can be flown through a Stargate. Care to come aboard?" He turned and saw that Amaranth had managed to convince Savra to come aboard though she was now huddled in the corner of the ship, her eyes wide.

Aragon walked up the ramp, and Ajax swiveled his chair around, and began securing Amaranth in her special harness. That done, he touched the dashboard, and was rewarded with a gentle whorl sound as the Jumper's main systems initiated.

Ajax closed the door, then gently backed the Jumper through the Stargate, hoping that Atlantis wasn't dialing it at the moment. As soon as he was clear, Ajax tapped the center button on the console, and the Stargate dialed.

_Alright, that's done, I'll give you shooty-killy ouchy-bleedy in three or four chapters from now. Until then, hold on while I set the stage._

_*"Sword! I name you The Breaker!"_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Feather, Ninth designation: Ajax cooking was just a random thing I came up with and it should be noted that Aragon the Grey is not my character, but belongs to Master of the Blood Wolves. (though I am sure there are several franchises that would like a piece of the action if Aragon were to ever show up in books actually being sold) Aragon will affect things much more than Savra-chan, due to the fact that Aragon will be doing major fighting, Savra, not so much._

_The dude with Blood Wolves as his slaves/servants: I got a large review! I'm happy to answer almost all of it. I didn't feel like the wizard that accompanied him was as important to the storyline, but I could arrange for him to arrive via 'screaming tunnel' in the next chapter if I must. Good thing you used the word 'usually' in that comment about Aragon crying. I will try to remember that, though a full psych profile could be helpful in the future._

_As for the warp…saving that up for later. Same goes for the staff, I'm just going to say that he left it in Ellesmera when he and Ajax went to Atlantis. He'll come back for it, I promise._

_I didn't say anything one way or another with Thelduin's size-shifting abilities, just that Ajax saw Thelduin in a smaller size, and a larger size, and recognized that the large dragon he saw was the same one that had been on Aragon's shoulder._

_As far as Ilumeo goes, Rhunon only noted that Aragon had kept it well, nothing more._

_Ajax cooking in the bathroom seems to be a common theme in the reviews of that chapter, maybe next time I'll have Ajax cook in the closet instead!_

_And now to Avenging Angels, who has closing remarks, and the closing. Angels?_

_**Ha that's new! Angels, guess that means I've got two nicknames now. Avenging Angels and Angels? H'm works for me. Anyways I'd like to congratulate Hideout Writer for yet another awesome chapter and the reviewers for reviewing. As always I hope you enjoyed (we both do) and please R&R.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Avenging Angels**_


	38. Briefing on Atlantis

_At it again. Yes, people, I have been promising a big battle, but I need to do some groundwork first. It's like…launching a space shuttle. You don't just turn on the burners and hope for the best, no, you have to flip a billion switches first! There's also all those slider bars that need to be set, and the knobs that need tuning…it's very complicated. The point of all my rambling is that battles are complicated, and I will give you a massive one, within two chapters from now, give or take._

After confirming that it was the Du Weldenvarden Stargate that had dialed Atlantis, Dr. Wier had the shield lowered, and the Jumper glided through the event horizon before ascending into the Jumper bay. Angel was waiting for them there, her white wings spread slightly as she watched the Jumper land, her blue eyes steady.

Ajax carefully set the Jumper down on it's recharge pad, and opened the door. As soon as Amaranth was unbuckled from her harness, Savra went over to Amaranth, and walked out of the Jumper with her, clutching one of Amaranth's neck spikes like a life raft. Behind them Aragon and Thelduin stepped out next, followed by Ajax.

"Hello, Angel." Ajax said, nodding at the young girl. "What's up? You don't typically greet every Jumper that comes in personally."

Angel looked at Aragon. "He's the one." she said, then wound up and slugged him hard in the stomach before Aragon could move to block it. "That." she said ominously. "Was for the disturbance you caused in my nerve center. It took me nearly three hours with the help of McKay to get everything back in working order. Now, I'll deck you if you can't explain to my satisfaction what it was that you did."

Aragon barely even thought about it before grabbing Angel and twisting sharply on his heel. He vanished with a sharp crack! Angel disappeared at the same time.

Aragon reappeared outside the tower, released Angel, and apparated back inside the Jumper bay. Just before he did so however, he noticed a pair of angel-like wings on Angel's back. Moments later, the Jumper bay doors opened, and Angel dropped down inside, folding her wings in as she touched the ground.

"Fail." she said, pointing at Aragon. "Know this, Aragon the Grey. I am linked to this city, and if you try anything like that again, I can make life very uncomfortable for you here. Now, what did you do yesterday that caused the disturbance?"

Aragon worked his mouth for several seconds and Ajax glanced between them warily. That little spout from Angel reminded him a lot of what he'd known Max to do. It was scary to think how well Angel learned from her leader.

"I nearly killed myself trying to get to this world. My transport spell uses a Stargate as the focus point, creating a stable fold for me to walk through. I use the Stargate due to it's resilience as it can take a remarkable amount of energy without failing or being destroyed. When this city was moved here, I didn't know about it. I was aiming for the 'gate in Du Weldenvarden when my spell was forced to choose between two 'gates in one astronomical unit. It nearly killed me; had I not chosen a 'gate myself, it would have continued to fluctuate between 'gates, and I could have been split in half."

Angel cocked her head to the side, thinking. After several moments, she said "Very well. I believe you did not mean any harm. Is there anything you can do to ensure that you will not have this problem in the future?"

"Yes, I can put a spell over the 'gate that will keep me from ever having this issue again." Aragon said, thinking much like Angel.

"Then please do so as soon as possible. Oh, and I'll expect you in the briefing room with the highest echelon of Atlantis in twenty minutes for your briefing on Chaos." With that, Angel closed the upper bay doors with a flick of her mind, then strode down the steps that led down into the Control Room.

Aragon looked at Ajax, then said with exasperation, "Well, wish me luck."

"You'll need it, especially with Angel." Ajax said, jerking his head after her with a grin. "But, after your finished briefing everybody, have someone escort you to my quarters. I've got to get the _Lyrical Fire _built."

So saying, Ajax walked over to the door control mechanism, and opened the Jumper bay door that led to the 'gate room below. "Geronimo!" was followed immediately by a thud as the falling hybrid hit the deck.

While her Rider went to build the Lyrical Fire, Amaranth guided the young human-lizard hybrid gently down the stairs, headed for the only place she could think would accept Savra.

_The Rides' quarters:_

The doorbell chimed, and Max got up to answer it, followed by Fang. They had been laying on the queen-sized bed, just enjoying each other's company when the doorbell rang, and Max was on the side closest to the door. When Max swiped the tray to allow entry, the doors groaned open to reveal the young emerald dragoness, patiently waiting with a four-year old girl who's skin was remarkably like scales.

_"Can you take care of this one?"_ Amaranth asked, waving her tail with a lazy flick at the girl who was looking up at Max with wide eyes.

Max blinked, then got down to Amaranth's level, studying the girl curiously. "Sure."

_"Her name is Savra, she is a human-lizard hybrid, and she is very shy."_ Amaranth stated, glancing over Max's shoulder at Fang who watched emotionlessly from the beyond the door. _"But I have already introduced her to you in a way."_

Max was at a loss for words as Amaranth carefully removed herself from Savra's deathgrip before padding down the hallway.

"My name is Sah-vrah." the girl told Max. She seemed rather matter-of-fact about it, yet still shy. "Will you be my mom?" Max's heart nearly broke at that, and after a moment, she looked Savra in the eye and said "Yeah, I'll be your mom." As she was standing up, she noticed a bird-kid shaped disturbance in the air as Fang walked out.

_Atlantis Briefing Room:_

Aragon was finishing the briefing on Chaos, and with the exception of the girl who had punched him as soon as he had exited the Jumper, and a quiet warrior type man, Aragon got the impression that nobody truly believed him.

"Well." Dr Wier said, standing up as she picked up her computer. "Thank you for taking the time to share this with us." Her tone belied her words, and Aragon knew that she didn't believe him, not for a second.

Just then, Angel spoke up. "Dr Wier? Could you please sit back down?" After a surprised Dr. Wier had done so, Angel continued. "He speaks the truth."

Dr Wier's eyes opened wide at that. "Really."

"Yes." Angel stated, her angelic face rather serious as she gazed about at the humans. "He could share that with you, but seeing as how there's no bucket nearby, I'd rather he didn't."

"I believed him before you said anything." Ronon said, addressing Angel. "There have been stories among my people about warriors with great strength, stronger than even the Wraith. We hoped we would never see them, we hoped they were mere tales handed down from our great-great-great-great-grandfathers, meant to frighten us as children." Ronon glanced at Aragon with unconcealed mistrust as he continued to speak. "These warriors had much strength, and were completely honor-less. They were a disgrace to any who called themselves a warrior." So saying, Ronon sat back in his chair.

"You said they were a disgrace." Aragon said, his hands tightening into fists though he struggled to keep his face noncomplacent. "Not to nit-pick, but they still are. Or did your people kill these warriors you speak of?"

"In the stories, only five warriors of their horde were felled. Seteda's women and children ran for the caves while our greatest army did battle with them."

"I'm sorry for the massacre that must have occurred." Aragon said. "Why did they leave again?"

"They couldn't find our women and children, and a planet with no slaves must have seemed worthless to them." Ronon replied, his eyes distant. "Our warriors fought well, and made their ancestors proud. There is nothing to be sorry about."

"If Angel believes you," McKay said, speaking up suddenly, "Then I believe you as well. She is the only person in this city smarter than me, much as that pains me to say it. I'll be going over weapon schematics after the meeting is over." With that McKay stopped speaking.

"Well," Sheppard said, still reclined in his chair as if at ease. "If this MFO's are as bad-ass as he says, what assets do we have besides the city that can help us live another day?"

"The _Daedalus_ is due back in three days."

"You would know, your favorite coffee is on board."

"There's also _Voyager_ and the associated assets there."

"There are five people who can use magic far beyond anybody else, and they would be willing to help, I think."

"Don't forget Max and the rest of my family." Angel said, her wings ruffling behind her back. "We know how to fight."

Just then, one of the many door panels opened, and Ajax walked in, his hand on the hilt of one of his swords. "Sorry I'm late. I've already been briefed on Chaos, and in more detail than he gave all of you. I needed the nearby stream when he was done."

"And you're here for…, what?" Dr Wier asked, her eyes narrowed though her voice held no hint of interrogation. "You don't typically come around unless you have something."

"As a matter of fact, I do have something." Ajax said, turning to the Doctor. "I asked the SGC to give _Phoenix_ permission to fly here. She's due in three days. Also, I've been working on a special device I have dubbed the _Lyrical Fire _project. If it works like I think it will, it will amplify my magic by as much as four hundred percent. I also saved seven sets of armor I picked up in my travels, and six matching weapons. I believe Max and her family are already familiar with them."

The room was silent after that, as everyone tried to think of anything that hadn't already been mentioned.

"Dumb question alert." Ajax said suddenly. McKay's eyebrows shot up; whenever Ajax chose to precede a question with that statement, it typically meant that he had a good idea, but wasn't confident about it.

"Make that two. Number one. Could we get Todd's help in exchange for a 'hot meal'? Two, could we get some Jaffa to help us?"

"That's actually a good idea with the Jaffa." John said, sitting up right in his chair and pointing one finger at Ajax. "From what I heard from Mitchell, the Jaffa are scary good fighters. Almost as good as Ronon's people, from what I heard."

"Who would we be giving to Todd for his 'hot meal'?" Dr Wier asked.

"Actually, seeing as how I am immortal, I could…volunteer for it." Ajax said, swallowing hard in his throat though he stood his ground.

"Are you sure about this?" Dr. Wier asked. "From what I've heard, it's very painful to the person being fed on, and the person also ages very quickly."

"I can handle it." Ajax said, sounding more confident than he felt. "And I'm willing to do it if it means that nobody else has to die in order to gain serious reinforcements. I know what a Wraith cruiser can do, and I personally think that his assistance will be welcome."

"Very well. If you're willing to do it, then you may negotiate with him for his assistance." Dr. Wier said. She tapped out some notes on her computer.

Ajax nodded sharply, as if he was expecting her to say that.

"So, is that it then?" Aragon asked, preparing to rise to his feet.

"Yeah, pretty much. We'll have to ask about the Jaffa, and Todd may or may not decide to come." Dr. Wier said. "Meeting adjourned." While everyone else got up to leave, Dr. Wier continued writing down notes on her computer.

"So, what now?" Aragon asked of Ajax, as they left the Control room.

"Well, from here, we take J7, which has been specifically designated for Rider use, and we see what else we can set up."

"J7?"

"Yeah, after the green egg hatched for me, Dr. Wier said that Jumper 7 was to be set aside for Dragon Riders. This means that, in essence, I have my own Jumper, though I've been working on teaching Eragon how to fly it." Ajax grinned. "He's still a bit wary of the whole thing, but he's coming around."

"And just how did you convince him to even entertain the idea?" Aragon asked. "He seems like the type to go everywhere with his dragon."

"Aren't we all?" Ajax said, gesturing to Thelduin. She snorted at the comment, but chose not to reply. "I managed to convince him by saying that it would help him function better if Saphira wasn't around."

"That sounds like a line from Orimis." Aragon said. His face indicated that he still wasn't much for it.

Ajax cast a side glance at him but kept walking, his voice tight when he said, "Orimis is dead. Killed by Murtagh. We don't talk about it much."

"I wondered why he wasn't at the 'gate to greet me." Aragon said, nodding as if that made perfect sense.

"Well. Like I said, we don't talk about it much. Eragon and I both agreed that Q has punished him enough."

"How?" Aragon asked, climbing the stairs to the Jumper bay. "His torc. Also, he's not allowed inside the borders of Du Weldenvarden."

"I've been meaning to ask about the thing on your neck. What's that all about?"

"Q decided that the Dragon Riders should follow old Celtic traditions. I'm guessing you would hate having one, seeing as how there isn't one on your neck." Ajax closed the door and strode to the pilot's seat. As the bay doors opened, Ajax guided the Jumper up and out of the bay, neatly clearing the still-opening doors.

Due to the fact that the Jumper was cloaked, Ajax had no qualms about flying low, and for the most part, he flew just over the trees, running the Jumper at half-throttle.

"So, where are we headed?" Aragon asked, glancing out the front glass. "Because you don't look like you're scoping anything out."

"I'm not." Ajax replied, tapping a crystal. The Jumper bleeped in response, and Ajax stood up to get a better look a the terrain, looking for a descent spot to land. "I intend to visit the Queen."

"The queen."

Aragon's statement wasn't lost on Ajax, who explained. "Queen Nasuada took the throne of the Empire after Galbatorix died by my hand."

"You killed him?" Aragon asked, incredulous. "How?"

"He transmuted several crows into steel, and then directed them at me, but then realized that he would have a hard time making it out of the battle zone without being reduced to a mere man and tried for his crimes. He fell to my Klingon Batt'leth." Ajax said. "Two seconds later, the crows knocked me off of Shruiken, and I fell to my death."

"Then how are you here today, flying this Jumper?" Aragon demanded, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Ajax who turned to look at him.

"I came back to life. Remember what I told you about the moonpool?" At Aragon's nod, Ajax continued. "I've developed a sort of ranking chart for immortals. Class One immortals can be killed with a blade or poison. Class Two can be killed with a ceremonial weapon or in a certain part of the body, or both. Class Three can be killed in a certain ceremonial time, with a ceremonial weapon, and Class Four can't be killed. On that list, I am Class Three. Anything short of the proper ceremony will result in me coming back to life. That's how I survived."

Ajax turned and saw the palace up ahead, where Nasuada resided as Queen of the Empire. De-cloaking the Jumper, Ajax slowly set it down in the courtyard, making sure the Nighthawks knew he was there.

Amaranth jumped down from her chair, having been listening to their conversation quietly, and padded to the back of the Jumper, acting as if she was leading her Rider to the back.

Together the Riders and their dragons left the Jumper, preparing themselves for what would come next.

_Time to put this chapter to bed. Next chapter, we'll see the briefing of the Queen, the Urgals, and the dwarves. The elves have already been informed while Ajax was cutting z's in his hammock._

_Readers, Answers to:_

_Feather-sensei: This battle will be massive, possibly spanning more than one chapter. I may or may not decide to wipe several important characters out of existence, and Aragon is hard to write, because I'm very acutely well aware that his creator is reading down my neck as I write._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I made sure people noted the usage of HP-verse magic. I skipped the scene in which Aragon explains how he survived the Fall, but he did explain. As for the torc of the Riders, you'll note that Aragon was not given a curved piece of metal around his neck. Aragon uses the Stargate because it is able to withstand the force of his spell, to date, nothing else in Alagaesia has been able to do that._

_Now, I'll turn it over to Avenging Angels after telling you all No One Liners! Avenging Angels?_

**Yeah! What he said, I think? Haha, remember to R&R. I know for a fact that the final battle is going to be epic. What with Hideout Writer's knack for script written chapters ( a style I envy because it is very fluid while reading) and my ability to add a little emotion, there's no doubt in my mind that you won't be able to stop reading until he decides to end it. So, leaving you on that bright and cheerful note, I bid thee farewell.**

**Fly on,**

**Avenging Angels**

_Okay, Hideout Writer here again. After reading what Avenging Angels said, I should tell you here and now, this upcoming battle is by no means the 'final battle', though a battle like that will of course be epic, just due to the nature of last battles. I still have quite a ways to go with this before I finally close Microsoft Works Word Processor for the last time on this story. I will tell you when I'm about to shut it down, though._


	39. Prepare for War!

_Okay, I promise this is the last chapter before I get down to the writing about slaying. With that said, a Dragonforce song just came up on Pandora (Prepare for War for those of you interested) so I'm going to get to it._

As the two Riders walked down the ramp of the Jumper, the Nighthawks looked at Aragon with undisguised suspicion.

"If you're worried about him-," Ajax said, jerking his head at the other rider, "don't be. He's with me and I will vouch for his honor." The Nighthawks still looked suspicious, but escorted Ajax and Aragon to the Throne Room regardless. While they were walking, Aragon leaned over to Ajax and asked "How is it that I'm with you, and not the other way around?"

Ajax glanced at him then looked back ahead as he replied, "Because I've met the Queen before, and you have not. Every once and while, a small knot of those who were sworn to fight for the black king show up and try to assassinate her. Each knot has been eliminated in it's turn, but it has served to make her cautious."

The leader of that shift, an Urgal, appeared before them and bashed his shield with his axe bellowing in a gruff roar, "The Dragon Riders Ajax and Aragon seek audience with the Queen Nightstalker." In a normal volume he continued. "They say it's important."

"Show them in." came a female voice, strong and clear.

The Nighthawks parted and escorted the two Riders into the Throne Room, then stood to either side of the room, their weapons waiting at their sides, ready to spring into action of anything should happen.

"You have a grim look about you." Nasuada noted, taking in the two Riders who now stood before her, their faces blank. "And here I had thought all the war making was at an end, and aside from the occasional knot of those still sworn to destroy any who resist Galbatorix, that the land could rest in peace. I can tell just by your demeanor that you come on a mission of war."

"This is Aragon's thing, I'm just along to fly the Jumper." Ajax explained, nodding at the other Rider. "That and vouch for him where his name has not already been heard." Ajax turned to Aragon and waved his hand inviting him to speak after a confirmation from the Queen that she was prepared to listen. Seeing that she was, Aragon began to speak.

He briefly explained the history of the Space Marines, followed by an explanation about the Horus Heresy, and the Chaos Marines as they stood today. By the time he was done, Nasuada looked positively sick.

"Can anything be done about this?" Nasuada asked, her gaze flitting from Aragon to Ajax and then back to Aragon again before repeating the cycle until one of the two spoke.

"Some." Ajax replied, stepping forward with a grim look on his face. "Atlantis has already been informed, and even now, they are attempting to tap a few outside resources. If all goes well, we should have three ships at our disposal, the kind of ship that sails the dark sea between stars. We should be getting Daedalus and Phoenix in three days, and we already have Voyager. We're also looking to get some Jaffa warriors, well known in their region as strong warriors of honor, and we might even bring in a Wraith cruiser."

"So what do you want the citizens of this Empire to do?"

"Look as weak as possible. With Kharn on the battlefield, it's likely that only those who can even begin to think of defending themselves will be killed, he's known for thinking that those too weak to defend themselves are unworthy offerings for his liege, the one known as the Blood God. I don't know the strength of your armies, but I know that you would be like lambs to the slaughter." Aragon said, trying his best not to offend the Queen but knowing that he must explain how serious the matter was.

"They will be mighty enemies even for those who have better tools of war, such as those of the floating city. For the sake of your Empire, don't march out to this one. I take my leave." Aragon stood up, and said to Ajax, "meet me in the Jumper."

"Is what he says true?" Nasuada asked after Aragon had disappeared through the tent flap which one of the Nighthawks held back for him.

"I'm afraid it is. Eragon will be coming here to defend you if Kharn comes anyway. It's not likely, but you'll need a champion if something does go down wrong. Have a nice day." Ajax exited the Throne Room quickly, not wanting to delay any longer having delivered his message, and bounded up the ramp of the Jumper.

The door was still closing by the time Ajax had cloaked and extended the drive pods for maximum speed. They didn't converse much, each lost in their own thoughts as the Jumper silently flew at full throttle towards the mountains where the dwarves made their homes. Still between them and the mountains were the Burning Plains and the Hadarac Desert. Ajax slowed down considerably, which brought Aragon out of his thoughts for a moment.

"Why are we slowing down?" he asked.

"Cause I'm looking for something. Besides, can't you smell that?" At Aragon's look, Ajax remembered that Aragon had no sense of smell in the manner that he was referring to. "Sorry, forgot you don't smell that kind of thing."

As Ajax manipulated the controls of the Jumper, Aragon saw an odd, multi-colored hole, connected to the warp and he pointed at it. "There it is. That's what you were looking for."

"Damn. That'd be a tight fit for those Chaos shitheads, no?" Ajax asked, glaring down at it.

"Now? Yes. Later? Not so much." Aragon replied, leaning back. "That hole will grow larger over time. We have no more than four days to get people and weapons here to stave off their invasion."

"_Great._ The BC-304s get here in three days or less, and we already have _Voyager_."

Both Riders had been half-standing to look at the warp-hole, and Ajax slammed the throttle to full without warning, forcibly seating the two Riders.

"What was that for?" Aragon demanded, his hand unconsciously gripping his sword in white knuckles.

"I felt like there was something -or someone- watching us, and I wanted to get and go right away. Sorry about that, by the way." Ajax said, glancing at him then back forward.

Aragon subsided, but not after mumbling "Warn me next time you feel like pulling that kind of stunt."

"You know, I really need to get this bucket painted." Ajax said out of the blue. Aragon looked up from War and Peace. "Oh?" he said. "Why's that?"

"So that everyone knows that a Rider approaches, even if not on a dragon. Besides, I've always wanted to paint a Jumper or get one painted. This flat grey thing is hideous."

"Hmm." Aragon was back in the book.

"Alright everyone, I'm activating the inertial dampers for this next trick, because feeling my way into this one would result in feeling my way off the dash." Ajax had the Jumper over top of the extinct super volcano that the dwarves had long since converted into what was now the proud city of Tronjheim. The nose was pointed straight down, and Ajax cautiously edged the throttle into one-third forward. As the Jumper glided down, Ajax saw the Star Sapphire that Saphira had mended with her unexplainable dragon magic. Ajax carefully swung the Jumper around the massive gem, and continued down to the floor.

He had uncloaked right before entering the peak of the volcano, and through the windshield, Ajax saw several dwarves looking at the Jumper with open mouth, some pointing and jabbering to others. Ajax leveled off, and brought the throttle to zero. The Jumper slowly floated down, and Ajax retracted the drive pods when the Jumper was still twenty five feet off the ground. As he spiraled down, he noted with some satisfaction that the dwarves had created a perimeter, well clear of the Jumper.

As soon as the dwarves were sure the Jumper was on the ground, the perimeter broke, and they all swarmed the Jumper. Ajax waved, showing off the Gedwëy Ignasia on his left palm, and this just seemed to further excite the dwarves outside.

"They seem excited." Ajax said, grinning.

"Yeah." Aragon tapped the button for the bulkhead doors, and they parted a moment later. The dwarves noticed Aragon moving towards the back, and the swarm at the front melted away. Ajax joined Aragon in the rear section, where Aragon was carefully storing the book he had been reading.

The moment the seal on the door was broken, Ajax could hear the roaring murmur of the dwarves even as the door slowly opened. As soon as the door was completely down, the dwarves attempted to swarm the two Riders.

Ajax raised his arms in greeting. "Greetings, friends!" he cried, waving his arms to gain their attention which required little more than his appearance. "I would have words with King Orik, on a matter of extreme gravity." His words cleared the group as if by magic.

One dwarf separated himself from the group, and bowed low, his vast beard sweeping the floor in spirals. "I can escort you there myself. King Orik is currently in a meeting with the other clan chiefs. They have been meeting for three weeks now, so they should be nearing the end."

The dwarf, stocky though he was, ran quicker than Ajax would have guessed for his build, forcing Aragon and Ajax to maintain a trot to keep up. After descending several levels, and running through a maze of corridors, they came to a halt in front of the doors to the Throne Room.

"I will inform him of your arrival." the dwarf said, bowing once more before hurrying off.

"We'll wait here…?" Ajax said, grinning.

Aragon elbowed him. "Sober up, we're here on important business."

"Fine. You do the talking." Ajax replied. He stood at ease, hands clasped behind his back the way he had seen the Starfleet officers do. Aragon sighed, but didn't say anything.

After ten minutes, Aragon was beginning to wonder just what was taking the dwarven king so long to prepare for a meeting with two Dragon Riders. Ajax was still standing in exactly the same position he had taken ten minutes ago, and hadn't even blinked. Aragon briefly wondered what spell Ajax was using to do that, when the dwarves beat the floor with the hafts of their mattocks. The doors opened, and Ajax stirred.

"We ready yet?" he asked sleepily, barely withholding a yawn.

"You didn't hear the signal?" Aragon replied, his eyes narrowed at Ajax's lack of poise when they were about to speak to a King. Even if it was just a dwarf King.

"Oh, _sorry_. Thought it was thunder." Ajax stretched to loosen up the tension in his muscles, then he and Aragon walked into the Throne Room.

They stopped four feet away from the throne. It was a block of granite, with each angle exactly ninety degrees. It did not look comfortable.

Aragon took a breath to begin speaking, but a voice stopped him.

"Kneel." the voice said. "Kneel and identify yourselves." Aragon and Ajax glanced at each other then knelt as the voice had demanded, and Aragon, being the senior rider of the two, went first.

"I am Aragon the Grey, rider of Thelduin, and Last of the Exiles. I come before you today as a messenger on behalf of all of Alagaesia."

"I am Ajax, the third Rider with Amaranth my dragon. I share in this mission."

"I am Orik, King over all the dwarves. Where is my brother?"

"He is still in the city of the quick-tongued." Ajax replied, glancing up at the King.

"Very well. What is your message, Last of the Exiles?"

Aragon stood and his voice was earnest as he said, "This land is in grave danger from forces of evil far greater than the Traitor King ever was."

Ajax attempted to doze off while appearing wide awake, and would have succeeded had Aragon not figured out what he was doing and asked a question.

"Uh?" Ajax requested intelligently.

"I said, what forces do the otherworlders bring?"

"Uh." Ajax said, struggling to bring his mind back to the topic at hand. "Two BC-304s, one Intrepid-class, five magicians of superior strength, six human-avian hybrids with a multitude of powers and strengths, and the city's weaponry. That's all we know we have, but we might also bring some Jaffa and a Wraith cruiser if we can."

"Please explain more about these things." Orik said, leaning forward on his throne, his beady eyes narrowed.

Ajax muttered under his breath for several seconds before coming up with an image of the planet. In between his palms, light coalesced into the shape of the planet, and he showed it to Orik. "This is an image from above, where there is no life. In order to survive on the dark sea between stars, the otherworlders have created ships capable of keeping them alive in this hostile environment." The image changed to Show a BC-304 engaged in combat with two other ships. Aragon recognized them as ships from the Kabal of the Silent Scream.

Ajax indicated the one vessel. "That is a BC-304 type ship, capable of dealing massive amount of damage, and capable of absorbing an absurd amount of damage in the process." In the lightshow presented by Ajax's memories, weaponry from the other two ships slammed into the _Phoenix_, creating little pulses of light where the weapons detonated on the shielding. "There will be two of this available for the fight. The ships _Phoenix_ and _Daedalus_ will be here within three days or less. We also have an _Intrepid_-class vessel," the image shifted to show _Voyager_. "She's also capable of taking intense fire, though her propulsion systems have a weakness: the nacelles. If you hit one of those in just the right way, you'll blow it up."

The image shifted again, showing a drone headed towards it's target. "When in mass, these puppies can do a considerable amount of damage, destroying ships with ease." The image shifted again, showing a desert world, with a group of fifty warriors running down a sand dune. They all carried an ornate staff with an elongated bud at one end, and a strange symbol on their foreheads. One was different from the rest, as he had a symbol just like all the others, but his appeared to be golden, while the others merely had black ink. Holding their staffs level, the buds opened, and bolts of yellow light shot out from the opened buds, dealing grievous damage to their enemies.

"The Jaffa are noted warriors of honor, and much stronger than humans, though they look human. The Wraith are a race that feed on humans, though we have had alliances of opportunity with them from time and again. They are a fractured race, and are busy fighting between themselves trying to find enough food to continue on. One of our regular contacts is Todd, who has helped us before. We're on almost friendly terms with him at this point."

The lightshow displayed a Wraith cruiser, flinging bolts of plasma at a far larger ship of similar construction. The cruiser was backed up by a pair of 304s, and after several seconds engaged in the exchange of formalities, the hive attempted to jump into hyperspace. A bright blue beam of light lanced out from one of the 304s, and the Hive failed to jump. Shortly after that, the Hive exploded. "I have decided to ask Todd for his help in exchange for a 'hot meal'. I'm relatively certain he will accept."

"And what of these avians?" the dwarf King asked, his eyes wide from all that Ajax had shown him. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Well they're sorta like me actually." Ajax shrugged of his jacket and spread his wings astounding the King who gaped at him for a moment. Ajax put his wings away and with his hands presented a memory of the Flock. Max, standing at the front with Fang at her right, Iggy at her left, Angel standing with her back leaning against Max, Gazzy beside Iggy, and Nudge beside Fang. "Max is the leader, the blonde girl you see, her second in command is the dark haired guy next to her, third the blind guy Iggy. The rest starting with the second oldest girl beside Fang is Nudge, the younger blonde haired boy is Gazzy, and the young girl who looks like him is his sister Angel. Back on Earth Max was responsible for saving the world. She leads the Flock here. Angel is perhaps the second most powerful however because of her connection to Atlantis, which is unfathomable. She is completely tuned into even it's darkest secrets. All in all, they are a force to be reckoned with, wings and all."

The King nodded, taking everything in as he thought over all that Ajax had said. Aragon nodded at Ajax to tell him he was impressed but Ajax merely shrugged and stared up at the vast ceiling.

After a few minutes, the King dwarf asked in a gruff voice, "What do you want the dwarven nation to do about this Chaos threat?"

"I was going to leave that to you. If the dwarves do not stir from their mountain home, I highly doubt they will come here when there are other, more easily conquered races available."

"Is that all you wanted of me?" Orik asked, clapping one hand against his throne with a soft thump.

"Yes." Aragon replied, letting his arms swing at his side.

"Very well. You may go." Aragon and Ajax both bowed, then left the chamber.

When the two Riders were both seated in the Jumper, Aragon said, "You've got a lot of nerve, falling asleep in front of the king like that."

"Whoops." Ajax said flippantly. "I've been having bad dreams ever since you came through. No, you're not the source of my bad dreams, that hole we saw in the Hadarac is. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone to brief the King on that which you know better than I." Ajax tapped a crystal sequence, and then took the control of the Jumper.

"You know, you should learn how to fly one of these. It can carry several drones, and can cloak. Also, as a user of magic, you have the gene to fly one of these puppies." The Jumper cleared the mammoth gem, then exited the volcano entirely. Ajax continued straight up, running the Jumper at full throttle. After thirty seconds, the Jumper cleared the atmosphere, then passed through the shield. Ajax brought the Jumper to a full stop, and stood up. "Take the stick." Ajax said, gesturing to the console. Aragon looked up from the book, eyed the console suspiciously, then went back to his book. "How about I don't, and we say I did?" he asked.

"Well, this thing has sixteen hours of life support, so, you know, whenever you're ready?" Ajax shrugged. "I'll be in the back." he laid down on one of the benches, and secured the webbing over himself in case anything happened. Aragon looked at the bird-kid, shrugged, then closed the bulkhead door.

While Aragon was doing that, Amaranth maneuvered herself into the pilot's chair. She gently clasped the stick between her front paws, and aimed the Jumper down, thinking about going faster as she did so. Aragon was back in the book again, and hadn't noticed Amaranth taking control of the Jumper.

The Jumper screamed through the shield at full throttle, diving straight down. Amaranth had turned off the inertial dampers, and as the Jumper got closer to the ground, it hit a pocket of turbulence. The small craft shook, just enough to get Aragon to look at the pilot.

"Okay, I'll take the stick!" he said.

Amaranth just looked at him for a long moment, then laughed full in his face.

Inertial dampers engaged then, and Amaranth leveled off, heading for Atlantis.

The moment the Jumper touched down on the recharge pad, the door opened, and Aragon exited the Jumper in a hurry, neatly twisting around to avoid Angel, who was again waiting for the Jumper.

"She's insane!" he cried, gesturing behind him.

Angel considered Aragon's words for a moment, then walked up the ramp into the Jumper. She saw Ajax sleeping with the netting down to prevent being flung across the cabin, and stopped.

She appeared to be debating with herself about something, then she laid a hand on his head, and forced herself into his memories.

She quickly reviewed the briefings, skipping most of the talks done by Aragon, but listening to everything said by Nasuada and Orik. After two minutes, she was satisfied, and pulled out of his mind.

"Why did you fly the Jumper?" Angel asked, walking to the front and looking over the Pilot's seat at the green dragon.

_"Because Aragon refused to when the opportunity was given, and my Rider's faculties were not sufficient for the task. He has not slept well for some days."_ Amaranth replied, her tail wrapping around the control. _"Besides, I wasn't about to crash, was I?"_

"Debatable." Angel said, her voice serious. "You should have just told Aragon to fly the Jumper, I was watching on sensors, and you didn't exactly fly in the most stable way."

Amaranth's tail whipped back and forth. _"Well pardon me for not having hands like you have. All things considered, I did rather well. Until you have a body like mine, and try flying this in my form, don't criticize MY flying skills."_

Angel sat down in the copilot seat, swiveling as she leaned forward to peer out the front glass. "Fair enough." she said quietly. "I shouldn't have criticized your flying without knowing all the facts." She stared out the windshield, gazing at nothing in particular. "I've been on edge ever since Aragon's arrival, and I cry your mercy for my words."

Amaranth twitched her tail like a cat, and licked at her fore claws. _"I accept your apology. You are young, even by the standards of your race, and it is understandable that you would be scared." _She paused in her grooming to look straight at Angel. _"My Rider is not so brave as you'd think. He's scared witless by this threat, but hiding it the best that he can. He perceives his duty to be someone that others can rally to, a strong anchor in seas of confusion. I worry for him, even though no blade can permanently harm him. His memories, combined with the looming threat, make for a sea of dark emotion in his mind. I have recently found it to be nigh unto unnavigable. His dreams have eased somewhat here, in Atlantis, but I'm not certain how long the protection he has will last."_

So saying, Amaranth jumped down from the pilot's seat leaving Angel to think that what she'd said about Ajax also applied in sorts to Max in that she was constantly putting on more confidence than she felt. Angel shook her head and watched as the green dragon undid the restraints holding her Rider in place. After several moments, she very carefully licked her Rider's face.

Her tongue was already developing burrs for stripping meat from animals, and though the flesh would have to be very soft indeed for her to rip off any flesh, it did abrade Ajax's face slightly.

Ajax jerked awake, spluttering. "What?" he asked, still trying to clear the sleep from his head.

_"I didn't say anything." _Amaranth said. _"But you should note that the Jumper in in the upright and locked posit…oh, wait, that's the tray tables. Whatever, we're here."_

"Oh, okay. Be right with ya." Ajax vigorously rubbed his face, trying to clear out the remnants of sleep, then stood up.

"I guess I need to find Todd…," he murmured, blinking to wake up more. "Sheppard might know how to get ahold of this guy." Ajax said. Turning to Angel, he asked "Did we get any news about the Jaffa?"

Angel shook her head, her small lips turning down in a frown. "Not yet."

"You do have _Phoenix _and_ Daedalus_ within sensor range, right?"

"Yes, and a third vessel of the same class." Angel replied.

"Thanks." Ajax patted Angel on the shoulder, and trotted out of the Jumper. Amaranth hopped up into a seat, and settled herself to wait for a bit. "He'll be back." she said noting the look from the young bird girl. Angel nodded, a faraway look in her eyes before she too left the Jumper. Amaranth promptly moved to the front seat that Angel had just vacated, and curled into a ball to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the Gate Room:

"Sheppard! There you are." Ajax said, running down the steps.

"Yep. Here I am. Last I checked, I'm not anywhere else in the city at this time." John responded, taking a pull on his drink. Dr. Wier had decided not to ban alcohol on the city, and Angel had seen fit to leave it that way, so Sheppard was finally enjoying a beer while looking out over the city. It had taken a while, but Sheppard's request had finally gone through, and the last time the Daedalus had arrived, it had come with one case of beer for one John Sheppard.

"How do I find Todd?" Ajax asked, coming to a stop before him. Sheppard snorted. "Through several arcane rituals, a transmitter, and a hell of a lot of good luck. You could try the transmitter, but I'm not sure how much it will help."

"Thanks." Ajax left Sheppard to finish his beer, and went in search of the transmitter.

_J7:_

Ajax walked up the ramp, absentmindedly, focused on the device in his hands. When he got to the top of the ramp, he hit the door control mechanism, and continued to the front without breaking his stride.

Amaranth opened one eye, acknowledged that her partner had returned, and went back to sleep.

"Aside from Thelduin, no dragon has ever left this world as far as I'm aware." Ajax said. "And you're certainly the first to be going to a Wraith vessel…,unless Aragon beat me to that as well."

The Jumper descended into the Gate Room after the wormhole had stabilized, waited for a moment, then shot through. The connection cut off with a snap, and Ajax was gone from Atlantis. The Jumper was in space, in orbit around a planet that was uninhabited. After checking location, Ajax activated the transmitter and settled down to wait.

He didn't wait for more than three minutes when a hyperspace exit window opened, ejecting a Wraith cruiser.

"Sheppard?" came a smooth voice. "Is that you?"

"No, but I need your help. Permission to come aboard?" Ajax asked, feeling a rock settle deep in his stomach as he realized what he was about to do.

"A ship will escort you to the ship bay." the voice responded. A moment later, a Dart flew out from the cruiser, and Ajax followed with the Jumper.

A pair of organic doors were already closing as Ajax cleared the doorway. As the Jumper landed, Ajax witnessed a monstrous cloud of gas billow out of a series of pipes in the wall, and reasoned that the bay was recompressed so that people could walk about again.

After casually sniffing the air to see what he could learn, Ajax stepped out of the Jumper. The moment he had stepped off of the ramp, two bone-masked Wraith soldiers met him, and one kept his weapon trained on Ajax while the other examined him for weapons. Upon finding the specially forged blades that Ajax had with him, the soldier removed them, and gently placed them in the Jumper. The search complete, one took the lead while the second fell in behind Ajax, and they walked through several corridors before coming to the Wraith equivalent of a bridge. Once at the door, the one leading stepped back, opened the door, and unceremoniously shoved Ajax forward into the room.

"You are the one who came on the PuddleJumper?" the Wraith's smooth voice was the same as the one he had heard when the cruiser first hailed him.

"Yes, and I've come to ask for your help." Ajax said, his voice stronger than he felt. "I come on behalf of Atlantis."

"A bold move." the Wraith said, giving a slight nod.

"I presume you are the one Sheppard calls Todd?"

"Yes. Tell me why you need my help."

"To put it simply, all hell is about to break loose, and we aren't strong enough to take are of it on our own. They make the Replicators look like child's play in comparison." Ajax said. "Ever heard of Chaos?"

"Ah, yes. Chaos. An interesting subject among my people, to say the least. How many threaten your world?"

"From Aragon's inte."

Todd cut him off. "Aragon? As in Aragon the Grey, known among Chaos as the Heretic Inquisitor?"

"The same." Ajax said. "Why?"

"We will help." Todd said quickly. He turned to a console, and tapped out several commands. "Atlantis would not have sent you here without something to bargain, so what was it?"

"A so-called 'hot meal'. Someone you can feed on." Ajax locked his jaw to avoid showing exactly how much he wasn't looking forward to it.

"If Atlantis is willing to offer someone as a meal, then they are desperate indeed, thinking that my people are the lesser of two evils."

"I am the person in question, and I offered myself of my own free will." Ajax said.

If Todd was surprised, he didn't show it. "You understand what feeding entails, yet you chose to offer yourself as a meal?"

Ajax snorted. "I was the best candidate."

"Haven't been on your best behavior, have you?" Todd asked.

"More like, I'm immortal, meaning you could feed, wait a minute, and feed again. Look at it as a three-course meal."

"I accept your offer." Todd said with a grin. He held out his right hand, the one that he used to feed with. "Now, I understand that among humans, it is customary to seal an agreement with a handshake?" He grinned before pulling back, though Ajax had considered it.

"A bit of Wraith humor." Todd explained. "It certainly caused a stir last time I was there."

"I could see why." Ajax said, barely hiding his disgust. "Do you require an additional payment 'up-front'?"

"Up-front?" Todd asked. "What is that?"

"That would be where you accept the job, and get paid before going out to do the job, then you get paid again when you successfully complete the job."

"Ah, an interesting concept." Todd admitted. "Are you prepared to offer payment at this time?"

"I am, but when we're done here, I need to remain here when you go into hyperspace."

"Why?" Todd asked, immediately becoming suspicious.

"Because there is a Stargate in orbit here, and there is a shield around the world that we are set up on. It will require access via Stargate so that I can tell them you're coming, and shut off the shield."

"You have thought this out well."

"Yeah, that happens. By the way, the numbers I heard were two hundred of the tainted Marines, and a pair of their best dudes, the Despoiler and the Betrayer."

Todd shook his head sagely. "When you people get into trouble…," he muttered.

Ajax had heard. "When we get into trouble, we do it quite thoroughly."

Todd chuckled. "Yes, you do at that."

"I'm ready." Ajax announced. Todd went from joking to serious. "Just do it."

For the first time he could remember, Todd actually considered staying his hand. A moment later, Ajax was crying out in mortal agony as the life was sucked from him. Within five minutes, -a long time for such a feeding- there was nothing but a husk. Todd removed his hand, and Ajax's body fell over on it's side. After several seconds, a white mist began to seep from the body, healing as it went. Moments later, Ajax was again alive and well.

"An impressive display." Todd said, looking at the young man before him. "Despite your endurance, I would still be hungry if you were a normal human."

"Well, thank goodness I'm not a normal human." Ajax said, buttoning his shirt back up as his breathing leveled out.

"I will have you escorted back to your ship." Todd said. "I must make this vessel ready."

A low, repeating tone could be heard throughout the ship. "I have never used that warning until today. All hands, make ready for a Chaos incursion."

A pair of bone-masked warriors stood at the door, and they escorted Ajax back to the bay, where he sealed his Jumper, and took off to show that he was ready. After turning around, Ajax set all systems to standby, and waited for the doors to open.

_"Don't do that to me again."_ Amaranth said, her eyes wide and wings flared out.

The doors opened, and Ajax flew the Jumper out, looping about for an approach to the 'gate. _"Do what to you?"_ Ajax responded.

_"You cut me off from your mind, I could not feel you." _Amaranth stood up, and scrambled off the chair._ "You just don't get it, do you?"_ she asked. _"I __need __you."_

_"I died during that meeting we had. That's why I blocked you out. I didn't want you to feel the excruciating pain I was dealing with."_

Amaranth's response was decidedly cooler than her previous tone. _"You could have told me that you were about to die. At least I would have known."_

_"You're right. I should have told you before just blocking you out. It won't happen again."_ Ajax said. "Atlantis, mission was a success. Sending IDC now."

"This is Wier. I'm glad it worked out. We are receiving your IDC, you may come through. Welcome back home."

"Thank you much." The Jumper rose into the bay, shutting down on it's recharge pad.

As the ramp folded down to allow Ajax to exit, Ajax noticed Aragon standing behind the Jumper, waiting for Ajax.

"Have a good trip?" he asked, walking forward to meet him.

"I died, so it was probably exciting." Ajax said. "I don't know about you, but even with all my abilities as an immortal, I'm beat to hell. If you want to go somewhere, take the Jumper, it's for use by the order of Dragon Riders, so you qualify. I'm going to pass out in my quarters." So saying, Ajax walked down the stairs, followed by Amaranth, her claws clacking on the floor like a dog's claws would. Aragon followed the pair, Thelduin perched on his shoulder as if she was born there.

"So what breed is she?" Ajax asked at last, slowing down to walk in stride with the other Rider. "I have found no records of a dragon like Thelduin."

"Nobody really knows anything about her, save the fact that she came from across the sea."

"Cool. So what are you going to do after the impending Chaos threat is dispensed with?"

"Well, I might go restore Doru Areaba, or wipe out the slavers…, there's a lot that needs to be done to clean this place up, though it's a veritable vacation after what I've seen and done."

"Hmm. I'm gonna pass out." Ajax said, swiping the crystal tray.

The door opened, and Ajax went into his quarters, not bothering to do anything before falling face-forward on his bed, and going to sleep. Aragon was about to pull up a chair, and wait out the younger Rider, but Angel came in.

"He needs to rest. Despite being immortal and all that, having been fed on by a Wraith is very draining, and the best way to return himself to full capacity is to sleep. If you need something to do, I'm sure we can arrange something. Now, _OUT!_"The last word was said telepathically, and Aragon was caught off-guard by the sudden blast through his shielding.

"Okay, I'm going." He left, casting a glance over his shoulder at the creepy eight year old and Angel followed right behind him, making sure he went. As soon as she was clear of the door, the door closed, and the tray powered down for a moment. When the tray powered up again, one crystal was lit at a time in ascending sequence. One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, it kept cycling as Aragon and Angel walked away.

"So, what did you do?" Aragon asked.

"You mean with the tray? I set it like that so McKay would know that I don't want him going in there. He, Radek and Sheppard are the only ones who know how to shortcut the door mechanism, and by setting the tray to blink in sequence, they know not to disturb the person inside. Uh, oh." Angel said stopping with her eyes going blank. Then she dodged into a side hall leaving the Rider alone. Aragon shrugged, then went back to the Gate Room.

Ajax slept soundly for eight hours, not having the bad dreams that he typically had. Together, he and Amaranth flew through a mindscape as alien as it was beautiful, practicing moves that were second nature to those borne of the air.

Savra had been sitting alone in Max and Fang's room, in a position of meditation. She had her hands facing each other, as if each hand was on opposite sides of a ball. After several moments, a glow could be detected, and suddenly, her hands wreathed themselves in fire, before dying back to a simple flame in each palm. For the first time since arriving on this world, Savra genuinely smiled.

The Flock were flying around the central tower, practicing combat flight, when Fang suddenly accelerated out of the area, as fast as Max when she first found her super speed ability. Max had been attempting to evade the Gasman when she suddenly went invisible.

McKay was once again at the central control station in the forest, this time there was very little to do, just pull a crystal out, and leave it.

_Phoenix_ was faster than any other ship of her class due to a special combination of drives and shields that allowed for the use of multiple FTL drives at once. After jumping into hyperspace from orbit around earth, she had engaged the warp drive technology that she had picked up from the Federation. Her dilithium crystals would be depleted by the time she reached her destination, but the warp core was touchy enough that she didn't want it in heavy combat anyway. She had been working the whole time she was in hyperspace, building a shield program that would protect her underside. The ventral side wasn't shot at nearly as much as the dorsal side, and shielding was heavier there. She had stopped at Chulak for ten minutes, long enough to pick up fifty Jaffa willing to volunteer for the mission. _Phoenix_ sighed, hating the fact that she was just shy of forced to maintain her holographic form. It cut down on available computing power that she needed elsewhere, making the calculations take longer than they truly needed to.

Teal'c was seated in the command chair of the _Phoenix_, watching the blue-streaked tunnel of hyperspace slide past the ship far faster than he had ever seen it do before. A girl sat at a modified station to his left, dressed like a Tau'ri mechanic. She looked like she was about twenty Earth years old, and she seemed slightly impatient about something. She had one hand on the yoke in front of her, and with the other, she manipulated a console mounted directly to her left.

"Why do you keep sighing?" Teal'c asked at last.

She considered his question though she didn't look at him. "Because I'm not really alive. Not…, like you would know being alive. This body cannot leave the ship. I am the ship. And, due to the nature of regular people, I have to appear to be driving the ship physically, instead of just cutting control access to this console, and driving like I normally would. This façade takes away valuable computing resources that I would typically allocate to solving the shielding program that I'm building. So yes, I'm slightly annoyed, and somewhat impatient."

"I am familiar with the Tau'ri notion of auto-pilot." Teal'c said. "It would not disturb me to see such a thing enacted here."

"Great. I'm outta here!" With that, _Phoenix_ disappeared from sight. Teal'c merely cocked his head to the side slightly.

The _Phoenix_ surged out of hyperspace twelve hours after leaving Chulak, advancing to low orbit. She had been informed about the shield that enveloped the planet, and was scanning to see if it was on or not. Since it was not, she decided to land. No sense in hanging around in orbit when one could land.

The hologram reappeared, and sat down at the helm. "Attention! We are about to enter the atmosphere, so everyone should grab hold of something solid, the ride could get a little rough."

She gripped the yoke, and shoved forward five degrees, waited a moment, then brought it back to neutral. After stabbing the gear selector into second, she hit the gas, and the ship lurched before smoothly accelerating to a speed of nearly two hundred miles per hour as she smoothly worked the gear selector through the positions.

"What is that noise?" Teal'c asked, cocking his head to the side and twisting in his chair.

"What noise?" _Phoenix_ asked, her voice still annoyed.

"It increases in pitch before dropping back to a lower pitch every time you move that staff." Teal'c explained.

"Oh, that. That's just the audible tachometer, tells the person driving when to shift. It's an audible one because there wasn't room in the dash for a regular one." _Phoenix_ replied carelessly. "Oh, turbulence coming right up!"

No sooner had she spoken than the ship shook. "I'm activating your seatbelt, Teal'c. I don't want to have to clean up after you attempt to take out a bulkhead with your body."

A metal band ran across the command chair, then several balloons fitted into the band inflated, comfortably securing the occupant of the chair.

Eragon was in the tree house that served as his home when he was with the elves, and when he went to a window, he saw a streak of fire and fifty-one minds fly across the sky at high speed.

_"That was odd."_ he said to Saphira, who had been watching from just a ways off. She agreed with him, right before drifting off to sleep completely.

Ajax had just woken up, having soundly slept for eight hours. He was putting on a fresh set of clothes when he heard a beautiful melody at the door. It stopped after a moment, and the lights came on in his room. He had guessed as to what had happened, and knew that the door wasn't locked anymore. The door chimed.

"Come in." he called.

Sheppard walked in, his face expectant. "The _Phoenix _arrived in orbit two minutes ago, and broke orbit twelve seconds later. She'll be here inside of one minute."

"Excellent! She must have made sure Carter was the only one working on her drives." Ajax responded, throwing his shirt on. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting her here for another five hours or more."

"I was expecting her in three days, alongside the _Daedalus_." Sheppard said, glancing about the room before returning his gaze to Ajax who was finally dressed.

"Yeah, well. She's got a specially shielded warp core that allows for warp seven while in hyperspace. No other dilithium powered ship can say the same." Ajax responded.

"Ah…, anyway, I just thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing. Angel said you were pretty ragged when you got back." Sheppard said, his eyes studying Ajax. "Like it or not, I feel responsible for you whether you are truly under my command or not."

"Well," Ajax responded, his voice clear, "Angel's right. I was pretty tore up, despite being an immortal. Being fed on really takes it outta yah."

"You're telling me." Sheppard agreed. "Anyway, I need to turn in…, Angel managed to make me promise to."

"If she hadn't Beckett woulda, and you know it." Ajax responded. "I'll see you then."

Sheppard left, and Ajax opened the window. "You coming?" he asked the green dragoness. She stirred and yawned, then jumped into Ajax's arms. Ajax, startled, reacted by tossing the dragoness out of the window. The now fully awake dragon squeaked, then adjusted course, leveling off.

Ajax jumped out after her with a chuckle, and the window closed itself. As Ajax climbed, he circled the main tower, looking for the BC-304 that he had requested. A moment later, he saw it, a spot of flame on the horizon, moving towards the city at a relatively sedate pace considering the domain she typically inhabited.

The _Phoenix_ extended her landing legs…

Eragon dialed Atlantis…

The _Daedalus_ surged out of hyperspace…

All Atlantis Recon Teams checked their weapons…

Todd's cruiser shot out of hyperspace,

_Voyager_ went to Red Alert…

The Flock swept after each other,

…and the rift opened wider.

_Well, that's done. Who want's me to just forget we were ever going to do a battle? Just kidding, the battle will happen…, nothing short of unavoidable orders will stop it from happening._

_Anyway, Answers to readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: About the split in half…, there's a considerable difference between the magical split of which you speak…, which is more of a duplication that an actual split. As far as the Chaos sh**ers, the only one doing any sniffing would be Ajax, who fit's the bill as an extraordinarily strong Dragon Rider. If you want, he could sneeze instead? Chuck Norris, Superman, and Wolverine are all on Earth. They are fighting crime in their own way, and right now, Wolverine is showing some rapist what his heart looks like right before he dies. This would be a vacation for the Big Three when you compare it with keeping the world relatively not-destructed. There will be BIG things in this battle. Like, they are very large, big. I'll also try and write it as epic as possible before Avenging Angels takes her crack at it. She has admitted that her specialty (one of them anyway) is battle scenes._

_Feather-san-sama-sensei: I don't use good luck…, it leads to bad karma later on, so I make my own luck, and use that, which leads to good karma because I'm saving the regular good luck for others who actually need it. Besides, I has MAD SKILLZ! That, and three cats. Conclude as you will about that._

_Now that that's all done, I do hereby apologize to Avenging Angels for nearly doubling the beta load for the chapter, and invite her to give us the closing! Avenging Angels?_

**Whew that was a lot to read! But good, really, really good. Everything is now set up nicely for the epic battle. And it **_**will**_** be epic. I love fight scenes and yes I do claim them as one of my specialties. That's not to sound full of myself, don't get me wrong I am only human. But I do enjoy writing them and in all of my stories (check out my profile if you are a Maximum Ride fan, I've written like 6 stories for it the biggest 80 chapters with over 800 reviews) I put as much fighting as I can to keep the story exciting.**

**So, without further delay. Please remember to review and I look forward to betaing the next chapter! Go fight scene!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	40. Chaotic War

Alright. It's here. I've put it off as long as I could, making big promises all along the way, but now it's finally here, and like a kid the night before the biggest test in existence, I'm actually scared! Let me move some furniture around a little bit first.

As the _Phoenix_ landed, Ajax drifted on stilled wings from the top of the city down to where she would ultimately set down. _"Amaranth, meet _Phoenix_. She is at BC-304 class vessel, with enhanced weapon, shield, and propulsion technologies. She's also the only ship to actually be alive. Atlantis doesn't count, because Atlantis is a city."_

Amaranth acknowledged all of this with a firm nod, as if it were perfectly natural and made absolute sense to her.

A ramp in the belly of the ship dropped down, and Ajax landed nearby to greet the warriors. He did not recognize many of the Jaffa warriors, but Master Bra'tac and Teal'c both separated from the group, and walked over to where Ajax was.

"Master Bra'tac! Teal'c! It is good to see you again." Ajax said, extending his arm. After exchanging the arm clasp with Bra'tac, then Teal'c, Ajax got down to business. "Please, come aboard. I can show you better there." he said, gesturing to the magnificent ship.

"How have you occupied yourself over the years since you left the SGC?" Teal'c asked as they walked.

Ajax half snorted, half grinned. "I've become immortal, become a Dragon Rider, which essentially makes me a member of an elite order, traditionally above any mortal king, though the Fall nearly two hundred years ago changed all that. I've also forged a pair of knives with some elvish help, and…actually, I think that's about it. You?"

"Nothing much." Teal'c said with a grin.

Ajax guffawed with laughter. "I know you, and I know Mitchell and the rest of the team. You as a team seem to find stuff to get in trouble with, so by nothing much, do you mean, no deviations from that trend, or the galaxy got scarily quiet?"

Now broadly smiling, Teal'c answered. "There have been no deviation from the trend."

"It figures. And you." Ajax turned to Bra'tac. "How have you fared since I last trained with you?"

"The Jaffa nation has treated me better than time has." Bra'tac answered, his eyes narrowing. "The young lady of the ship told us that there was a large fight brewing, so we brought a pair of towers. One blast is enough to completely destroy an enemy soldier."

"Awesome." Ajax said, mentally thanking _Phoenix_. "This way." he opened a hatch that led to a dark room. As soon as the two Jaffa had entered, Ajax followed, and quickly summoned a small ball of light, 'fixing' it to the center of the room while he secured the door.

"There. We should not be disturbed. Phoenix, would you please get a lock on Aragon, Caldwell, Wier, Angel, Janeway, Todd, Max and Fang, and beam them straight here please?"

"Sure." the hologram said. She closed her eyes as if concentrating, then there was a brief hum as the requested persons were beamed into the room.

"I will never get used to that." Max muttered, dusting her hands on her jeans as if to rid herself of some manifestation. Fang gave a slight nod and the two Avians stepped forward, Max placing her hand on Angel's shoulder as she glanced up at her and grinned.

Ajax handed Phoenix a small device, and she skimmed her fingers over it as she absorbed the information it contained. She then handed it back again. _"I downloaded all the data from the device, but I didn't erase it." _came the whisper in the back of Ajax's head. "Thanks." Ajax replied.

"Map center online." Ajax commanded, extinguishing the ball of light. The monitors came alive with a gentle blue glow.

"Now, I think we're all here, save for Eragon." A moment later, a hum followed by a brief flash of light, and Eragon was standing in the briefing room, looking nearly as bewildered as Max and Fang had.

"Now we're all here. Max and Fang Ride, please stand so that all present know who and what you are. Don't worry, we're all friends here."

After a brief whispered discussion (one where Max did most of the talking), Max and Fang both stood, spreading their wings to show everyone. Caldwell looked somewhat disturbed, and Todd looked interested.

"Max and Fang are human avian hybrids, those wings are natural, in the sense that they are attached and they have had wings since they can remember. Now, Captain Janeway, will you please stand?" She did as requested, then sat back down after a few moments.

"Captain Janeway commands the starship Voyager, the rounded ship you no doubt have all seen by now. Todd," at this, Todd stood without prompting. "Is the commander of the cruiser that I'm sure you all have seen in orbit via sensors of varying kinds. He is a Wraith, and has agreed to help us in exchange for what we know as a 'hot meal'. Caldwell," the balding man stood, straightening his flight suit slightly. "commands the _Daedalus_. He may or may not choose to assist. I say may or may not because his ship has been in hyperspace since before this threat showed up, and he has not been briefed on the threat. I understand that he will do as he feel necessary for the good of his crew."

Ajax continued on his tour. "We all know the good Dr. Wier, now styling herself Queen of Atlantis in formal situations…, for diplomatic reasons only. Angel is linked to the city, and is able to direct a drone strike from afar. She also has abilities as a gifted magician and telepath. Eragon, is the current leader of the new order of Riders, of which there are but three, including myself and Eragon." Eragon stood, then sat again when Ajax first called his name.

"Aragon the Grey, also known as the Heretic Inquisitor and the Last of the Exiles, is the last of the old generation of Riders. He has traveled far and wide, and is quite intimately aware of the nature of the threat we face. Master Bra'tac and Teal'c of the Free Jaffa Nation, have graciously agreed to assist us in our fight, bringing with them fifty Jaffa warriors."

Ajax did a silent count in his head. "I believe that's everybody, so let's get to it." Ajax brought up a map with a blinking red dot in a desert area. "To the best of my knowledge, the Jaffa are excellent warriors, and even better when in the desert." Teal'c and Bra'tac nodded, Ajax was right.

"Max has under her command five human-avian hybrids of varying capabilities and abilities. They are equipped with a special armor, the likes of which there has never been before, they are protected against all but the very worst that our enemy has to offer."

Ajax turned towards the screen. "Bra'tac and Teal'c brought a pair of towers." he tapped a pair of points on the screen, creating a pair of blinking yellow dots. They were faced to the southeast, effectively standing between the red dot and the rest of the country. Ajax then drew a box, which shaded yellow after Ajax finished moving it around.

"The Jaffa will be here, sand mined for maximum effect, and armed with zatnikatels and staffs." Ajax then tapped six different points on the screen, three on each side of the area already defined by the towers and Jaffa placement. "The Flock can engage in their own type of arial combat, weaving about through their ranks in the air, distracting the enemy troops and providing time for the towers to activate and take out the larger opponents." the dots began moving in a random pattern over a red rectangle that had extended out from the red dot towards the rest of Alagaesia.

"I will be on the ground, delivering spells and hand-to-hand combat against their right flank, Aragon will be similarly engaged on the left flank." a grey dot on one side, and a green dot on the other side began blinking. "Eragon will be in the air, making flame passes over their center line, or he will be otherwise engaged in taking care of others should our attempts fail." A blue dot alternated between blinking over the red field, and blinking near the town closest to the Hadarac.

Ajax turned with a serious expression, "Caldwell, are you in?"

"Yes." Caldwell replied, taking a deep breath. "You can count on the _Daedalus_."

"Very well, I want you to drive your ship across the battlefield, from west to east firing into their formation, doing as much damage as possible. _Phoenix_ will do the same, going in the opposite direction as you. When you get from one side to the other, turn around, and go back the way you came. _Phoenix_ will transmit a shield program designed to maximize shielding on the ventral side. Once your shielding gets down to twenty percent, go for orbit, and recover."

Two grey ship-like icons criss-crossed back and forth across the red rectangle. "I want _Voyager _backing Aragon up on the left flank, and Todd's vessel will back me up on the right flank." A more rounded grey icon showed up near the blinking grey dot, and a green vessel shape showed up near the green dot. "Three very powerful magicians will be near the center of the sand mined Jaffa, dispensing considerable damage to the enemy and/or shielding the Jaffa soldiers as best they can."

Ajax stepped back and though for a moment. "I think that's all the assets available." he murmured. "Alright, now that I'm done with the mission-specific part, Aragon will give you your enemy-specific section of the briefing. Aragon?" Ajax gestured to the center of the room, and Aragon stood, completely at ease in his manner, though his thoughts were far from being at ease….

Ajax was busy looking at the engine stats while Aragon went through his shortened speech about the Chaos Marines, and looked up, just in time to see Aragon finish. "Lights." he said, and regular lights in the room flickered on, suffusing the room with soft white light.

A moment later, there was a pair of flashes, accompanied by a slightly thunderous noise. Q and his son q had arrived. The younger one looked miffed, but in a good natured way.

"Q." Janeway said, standing up in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"Well, ever since that incident that you helped us through, I've been going around with my son like the Continuum ordered. We came up with a little game." Q admitted. Max shifted slightly, almost instinctively moving to protect Angel.

"I made a bet, and my son lost the bet, so I get to choose the price." The younger Q muttered some choice words, though most of the people in the room heard what he said. "My son will assist you in the battle, though he will be limited to only doing things that could be…, reasonably explained as magic."

"This is just revenge for what I made you do at Hogwarts." q said. "Though it was really funny."

"Oh, I had a barrel of laughs myself, but yes, this is revenge for making me act like I'm only eight years old. That and your amazingly, dazzlingly, horrifying sense of style."

"That was for shits and giggles." the younger one said defensively.

"If you need to shit and giggle," Ajax said with a straight face, "There's a bathroom seven doors down from here." The room burst with quiet laughter. "Well, you've certainly improved." Q said, looking at Ajax. "Your ability to joke with a straight face is far better than last time I saw you."

At this point, the meeting dissolved into what appeared to be a meet-and-greet. Before long, Todd had made his way to Aragon.

"Aragon," Todd said smoothly. "I am glad to finally meet the Heretic Inquisitor. Chaos is known to us as the stealer of food, and there are several of us who have admitted that if we ever saw you, we would treat you as the most honored among us."

"Do I know you?" Aragon asked, feigning boredom.

"No…, I do not believe we have met. I had heard of you from one of these Marines latent thoughts after he had died. They fear you to a degree, Last of the Exiles."

"Can't say I feel the same way about them." Aragon said noncommittally. "He said you were a Wraith."

"Yes. We are named that for our ability to project psychic ghosts. We feed on humans, through this," Todd showed Aragon his feeding palm. "Though I find myself becoming less and less hungry, as if I no longer need to feed…."

Aragon fought the revulsion growing inside him, and said "I'm sorry, but I have some other business that needs attending to." _"The most honored what? Food?" _Aragon thought. Thelduin agreed.

_"He reminds me of the used-car salesman we met once. He had the capability to lie faster than I could identify the lies, which is considerably quick." _Thelduin said.

Ajax was standing at the door, spinning the wheel so as to unlock it. After he was done, he said "For those of you who view the nighttime as the time to be asleep, I recommend that you do so. We move at dawn." As Ajax was speaking, the door swung open from the outside, and a young woman in her early twenties entered the room. She was dressed like a mechanic, with blue coveralls, and a wrench in her hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who don't know, this is Phoenix, a projection of the ship so as interact with people more naturally. She is a hologram, but as each deck has been fitted with holo-emitters, that's no issue. If you have any questions, you can talk to her."

While Ajax was speaking, Phoenix walked over to him, and whispered something in his ear. After a few moments, Ajax nodded, and walked out of the briefing room. From there, the meeting broke up, each going his or her own way. Phoenix beamed Todd back to his cruiser, and Caldwell back to the Daedalus, and the remaining people went their own way.

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Phoenix managed to get a lock on Saphira, who had come through the gate with Eragon, and beam her to the pier.

The next morning, Phoenix beamed the Jaffa and all their equipment to the Hadarac, a quarter of a mile away from where the rift was still expanding.

_Voyager_ and _Phoenix _took to the skies, waiting in orbit for the signal.

Meanwhile, Aragon met Ajax in his quarters.

"What did you need me to come here for?" Aragon asked.

"This." Ajax held up a black metal disk, approximately four inches from one side straight across to the other side. "It's controlled by your thoughts, but you actually have to consciously think about it for the armor to engage. It can take any shape you can think of." he tossed the disk over to Aragon, who caught it with ease.

Aragon examined the disk, his dark eyes narrowed. It was about an inch thick, with a four inch diameter, and there were eight lines scored on one face of the disk.

"How do I put it on?" he asked, running his fingers over the smooth metal.

"Place the smooth side of the disk against your shirt, and take your hand away. It will stay in position. From there, just think of some armor, and you're good to go."

Aragon did as instructed, thinking of a matte black carapace. The disk glowed for a moment, then segments of armor began to appear out of nowhere, locking into position. Within thirty seconds, Aragon was covered from neck to toe in the armor.

"Now, just so you know, this armor can take all but the worst punishment Chaos has to offer without missing a beat. The actual Chaos daemons and so-called gods might actually get the armor to pause, but you'd be very likely to walk away from any engagement with the enemy." Ajax said.

"What about you?" Aragon asked, peering at him. "What are you going to wear?"

"My least favorite t-shirt, a pair of ratty jeans, and some old sneakers that I haven't completely destroyed yet." Ajax responded.

"Why?"

"Because it's essentially me telling them to go shove it, that I don't fear them even a little bit. Besides, I'm immortal, why bother with armor when I'm immortal?"

Aragon didn't reply.

Ten minutes later, Ajax, Eragon, Aragon, the mermaids, and the Flock were all boarding a pair of Jumpers. Angel was driving one, and the Flock was with her, while Ajax drove the other, with the mermaids and a pair of Dragon Riders on board.

The two Jumpers left Atlantis, and flew cloaked at full throttle towards the Hadarac desert. Angel, Max, and Fang had all given up their armor due to their protection from harm, Max and Fang with their bracelets, and Angel being immortal.

Saphira had one disk, which had created a metal armor of blued steel, Amaranth was making moss look good, and Thelduin had a carapace similar to the one that her Rider wore, though her's was grey. All three were sitting in the Jumper, preparing for battle in their own ways.

"Well, this battle is going to go down in one of two ways." Ajax said.

"Oh?" Eragon asked, glancing at the other Rider. "How's that?"

"Simple. Either we will win, or we will lose." Ajax responded, glancing at him from the corners of his eyes.

"Thanks for telling us what we didn't already know." Aragon said irritably.

"Touchy much?" Ajax inquired lightly.

"You know what?" Aragon started, but Eragon cut him off.

"Ajax, Aragon, both of you just shut up. You two will drive me mad if you keep it up." Eragon said.

Ajax shut up at once, and Aragon looked like he was about to say something anyway, but decided against it.

"Angel, I'm activating the follower. J7 should be empty in twelve seconds." Ajax said.

"Acknowledged." came Angel's cool response. "Leader engaged."

"Roger that, my hand is off the stick, repeat off the stick." Ajax released the talk button on the radio. "Alright people, this is it, let's go." Ajax gestured to the back. Thelduin and Aragon were up first, and they jumped out, Thelduin shifting her size the moment she was clear.

Eragon threw Ajax a look that said he didn't truly approve of this mad plan, but jumped after Saphira who swerved to catch her Rider with ease, her sapphire blue wings beating as she soared after the other dragon.

Amaranth jumped, and Ajax hit the button for the door as he ran out of the Jumper. With the Jumper empty, it chased after Angel's Jumper, maintaining position twelve meters behind it.

_"Bloody hell." _Aragon said, thinking to Ajax._ "That hole is big enough to drive a Leman Russ tank through without touching the sides."_

Ajax grimly acknowledged receipt of the information, looking about for Todd's cruiser. The organic ship was gliding down to a thousand feet before holding position. The Jaffa were already in position, and the BC-304's were gliding down with glowing noses from the air resistance. They landed nearby, waiting for the signal to begin.

As they were circling, Voyager's sharp bow sliced overhead, and the ship landed near Aragon's position.

Ajax looked up just in time to see the back door of the Jumper open, and three mermaids do back flips off the edge of the door. They slowed ten feet from the ground, and then gently drifted down the rest of the way. Ajax was just about to lock into a loop when he heard the signal: a sibilant whistling scream that smelled of fetid meat.

Chaos, had arrived.

Aragon looked up from his weapon, hate glistening in his eyes, and Ajax noted with some amusement that the mermaids had adopted yoga positions as if this was just another ordinary occurrence. Several Marines spilled from the rift, and a warrior with a gear-toothed axe bellowed his challenge to the waiting defenders.

The mermaids responded with a volley of energy balls roughly the size of cannonballs. They exploded as soon as they touched their target, dealing moderate damage. Surprise was evident on their faces in the split second before they were lost to Ajax's view, swallowed up in the midst of battle.

And then, they were upon him.

The world contracted then, limited to just beyond Ajax's blade, as he twirled his weapon in deadly arcs through their ranks. Todd's plasma bursts were slamming into the Chaos ranks, and somewhere else in the pack, Daedalus beamed down a thermonuclear device. The ground shook with the force of the explosion, momentarily forcing Ajax to the ground, his vision blurred from the shock wave.

Ajax blinked, and leapt to his feet shaking his head as if to clear his mind. After his senses cleared from the disruption of the weapon, Ajax heard a sound he had hoped never to hear again and whirled around, his eyes wide.

A rhythmic whining filled the air, and blue tanks spilled out of the rift, followed by several hovercraft in the same color-scheme. "Not the Bendians, please." Ajax pleaded, but he knew the sound, and he was certain that the Bendian Mercenaries had arrived. A missile flashed from a tank, and Ajax deflected it into the air with a massive stroke of his blades. His eyes blazing with fury, Ajax focused with all his might, and using magic to amplify the signal, said _"Aragon! The Bendian Mercenaries are here. I met them in battle once, but that time I had three Union Tac-Defs backing me up. Think 'Union Tactical Defense Heavy Armor Weapons Chassis' to your armor, that's the only thing that can come close to doing enough damage to stop them."_

No reply was given, and Ajax broke contact as soon as he was finished, narrowly evading another missile as it whistled past him on the air.

The Jaffa staff-towers as they had been dubbed were firing as fast as they could, aiming for the soldiers on foot, having realized that the regular staffs were nearly useless against their enemy. The Jaffa foot-soldiers, having realized the same thing, had switched to their zatnickatels, weapons capable of destroying enemy armor after three shots in succession. They were fighting full tilt, but barely holding their ground, and one by one, Jaffa warriors were falling, crumpling to the ground as their fellows struggled to stay standing.

Ajax had just eaten a faceful of bolter and come back when he noticed the brash young q standing nearby. None of the bolts were hitting him, and his Starfleet uniform was immaculate.

"Need help?" he smirked.

"Sure." Ajax said, twisting to avoid another missile as it slammed into the ground just behind him, narrowly missing his head.

The adolescent being smiled then, and started chanting in a language Ajax had never heard.

Q sat in Phoenix's command chair, and roared with laughter as he heard what q was chanting._ It was a Klingon drinking song!_

The Chaos Marines had never heard spells delivered in this language before, and paid it no mind. They should have, because the moment q was done, a large beast appeared out of nowhere.

On the other side of the battlefield, Aragon had found that the resistance was lessening as the marines turned away from him towards some unidentified threat on their left flank. The Jaffa noticed right away, as a desperation seemed to seize the enemy. They moved faster, and the remaining Jaffa dove back under the sand, unable to hold against the extra force that fear seemed to provide.

Fang nearly puked when he saw the monster that q had created, and Nudge actually did throw up along with Angel and Max turned a shade of green turning and leading the Flock to the far side of the field, unable to stand the sight of it and the Flock wheeled away.

The creature held out for several minutes, single-handedly destroying fifty Chaos marines before the Bendian artillery destroyed it.

Ajax looked at q with a new respect in his eyes. "Good going!" he said, twirling his blades through the air slinging dirt and blood. "I don't think I've ever seen a spell like that. It could be rather useful. Could you teach it to me?"

The young q looked at Ajax for a moment. "No." he said. "I don't think I can teach something like this…, it's an instinctual thing…, not learned." The teen waved his arm in a slashing motion, taking the heads off of several nearby marines. "It was great talking with you, but I've got to see Itchy again. It's been ages since I saw him." and with that he vanished in a fold of light.

Ajax looked up and saw the Flock circling over head, Gazzy and Iggy dropping bombs while the others dive bombed Marines, knocking them to the ground in a whirl of feathers, kicks and punches.

"Max! Please tell the Flock that they will need heavy armor weapon chassis to deal with this enemy, the Darken Tac-Def should do the trick relatively quickly." Ajax radioed, making sure that Max had heard him before adding, "Please hurry."

As the Flock drifted down from the skies again to deal with the Bendian tanks, Ajax picked up the Lyrical Fire, and proceeded to give chase to the remaining chaos marines. The body of the faux guitar was made of white gold, the fretboard made of mahogany. Three silver knobs were set into the body of the guitar, and the strap knobs were made of gleaming brass. Music filled the air as Ajax began to play, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Sent from home overseas/And into the unknown/Barely landed in the jungle/Sent on first patrol. Sundown, darkness falls/Dig in for the night/Ambushed in the dawn they came/The jungle's alive!I failed! My fire starts to burn/The heat controlling my mind/Berserk a savage running wild/Within me the beast starts to roar:Now I'm ready to strike!/A creature of the night/Into the fire!/The flame of napalm strike!

Sarge's down I'm in charge/Vc's everywhere/Overrun yet order airstrike/Condemned us all to burn!Napalm! from above/Burning friend and foe/Chaos on the battlefield/The jungle's on fire!This blaze! It's driving me insane!/Napalm! it's burning us al!l/This fight no man will live to tell/Within me my blood starts to boil:Now I'm ready to strike!"

Flames ripped across the battle field like a tide, washing over the enemy and swallowing them within the massive, swirling orange and red bands of the fire.

"A creature of the night/Into the fire!/The flame of napalm strike!From above the airstrike came/And it burned the world below/Napalm falling from the sky/And it leaves no man aliveI failed! My fire starts to burn/The heat controlling my mind/Napalm! it's burning us alive/Within me the beasts final roar:

Now I'm ready to strike!/A creature of the night/Into the fire!/_The flame of napalm strike_!"

By the time Ajax had hit the last chord, the last of the Chaos Marines had fallen victim to the otherworldly flames that Ajax had summoned. The last of the tanks exploded as Aragon used a spell of some sort or another on it, Ajax was too far away to tell. With a weary sigh, Ajax unslung the guitar, and surveyed the carnage.

Twelve Jaffa had fallen, one with his staff inserted through the symbiont pouch. Vile-runed armor was strewn all over the battlefield, and there was a stand of silver space marines near where Aragon had been fighting.

Voyager had fled the engagement, having lost shields relatively quickly, and Todd's vessel was being regenerated nearby. The ship had taken so much damage that Todd had been forced to land nearby, being unable to do anything more.

Max and her Flock had landed and were grimly picking their way through the pockmarked field, still alert for signs of the enemy and dealing single blows to any of the unfortunate survivors of Ajax's fire, though their were only a handful and all were glimpsing their last signs of light.

Both the _Daedalus _and the _Phoenix _had gone to high orbit, having lost shields after several deadly passes; the tanks had been too much for the shields.

After several seconds, Ajax took a deep breath, letting his hands drop to his sides and his blades rest with the tips hovering above the blood strewn ground. Though the smell of gunpowder, plasma, blood and death were all heavy on the air, the vile scent that Chaos had brought with it was gone, having been exterminated as the hole closed with a shuddering snap.

"We did that." he muttered. "Hurt like hell, but we did it."

That's when Ajax heard the whimper, a small, low sound on the deathly quiet field. Turning, his eyes widened and he dropped his blades running and sliding on his knees on the ground as his arms outstretched to pick up the small, green dragon who lay half buried in the sand, her mouth open as another pitiful moan escaped her jaws and her head lolling to the side as Ajax pulled her close, gently stroking the small, green scales and the tattered wings that had been shredded. On the ground lay her armor, and Ajax could only think that somehow she must have slipped out of it, maybe thinking that she was safe. But the blood streaming from her small body, and the ugly, ragged gash in her side said otherwise.

_"I, am sorry."_ Amaranth's voice was weak in Ajax's head and his eyes widened as he pulled her closer, seeing her bright eyes dimming as she tried to reach towards him. With the last of her strength she lifted her head and touched her nose to his forehead. _"Peace, dear one."_

Then her head dropped in his arms and her body stilled, her harsh breathing ceasing and her eyes, once so bright and alive, glazing over as Ajax closed his own eyes and a single tear fell from his eyes.

_"We have won, but at what cost?"_

_Answers to readers:_

_Feather-sensei-sama, Ninth of that Designation: Well, I tried with the explosions, hopefully my beta reader will do better with all this battle crap than I did originally. As for Ajax and Aragon…Aragon is something of an anomaly when compared with the norm in this particular universe (which is still technically Inheritance Cycle)_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Okay, you're right about Orik, and as far as Aragon being on a ship, there's a difference between a ship and a Jumper, which requires a special genetic key, and is partially controlled by the pilot's thoughts._

_This chapter was brought to you today by the combined efforts of Avenging Angels, the best beta reader I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and Honey Nut Cheerios. Today's chapter was also brought to you by Green Mountain Coffee's Nantucket Blend, in conjunction with the Keurig Brewer® system._

_And now, the closing, as brought to you by Avenging Angels!_

**Short, sweet and to the point. Ha, well not exactly. Okay I just want to say that Hideout Writer has worked very hard to bring this all to you and I thank him for the opportunity to beta for this awesome story. Second, I'd like to ask that you all leave him reviews because he deserves it. Now, I gotta admit I was surprised. I, like all of you, had no idea he planned on killing Amaranth. And, actually, as he wrote it, it wasn't nearly as sappy as I put it. Hideout Writer's version went like this:**

"We did that." he muttered. "Hurt like hell, but we did that."

Amaranth had just deactivated her armor when an unused missile detonated directly under her. The blast killed her instantly, dealing considerable damage to her underside.

_My version, starts after_: "We did that." he muttered. "Hurt like hell, but we did it."

**I just wanted to point that out. I felt Amaranth deserved a good goodbye and believe me it was a shock to proof read this and see that at the end. Not that I blame him. :) and of course it's his story. So I'll go with it.**

**Please review guys, he works really hard for you!**

**Avenging Angels, out.**


	41. Aim for mundane

Ajax roared with more fury than all of Chaos, backed with even more anguish. The other two riders, hearing the bellowing roar, turned to see Ajax roaring his grief to the heavens. His eyes wide and face scrunched up in pain as if he had received a mortal wound.

Aragon reached for his magic, knowing that he could bring back Amaranth, but a whoosh of flame stopping him from getting any closer than fifty feet. Ajax had created a rather large dome of fire over himself and Amaranth, effectively shutting out the world in a blaze of glorious, living flames.

"He's doing it again," Nudge whispered, pulling in her wings as she stood beside the rest of the Flock all of which were gazing up at the mass of spiraling flames. Max nodded taking Fang's proffered hand and reaching down to intertwine her other with Angel who's blue eyes were eternal. "His grief is too much." The young girl whispered. Max glanced at her for a moment then turned her back to the flames as the gathered the Flock. "Let's leave him for now. There's nothing we can do for him here." With one last look at the flames the Flock took off, first Angel and Gazzy, then Nudge and Iggy and finally, hand in hand, Max and Fang. They knew that Ajax would hide behind his inferno until he was ready to face the world once more.

"Can you get in?" Eragon asked, worried for Ajax's sake.

"I can try." Aragon replied. He went through several spells, and found that nothing could be done to the dome of fire until such time as the person creating it saw fit to extinguish the flames.

"Is that it then?" Eragon asked, hand on the hilt of his bloodied sword. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"The only thing I haven't tried is the final transfiguration spell." Aragon said. "He's got himself a rather impressive set of wards, even by my standards."

"Well, I guess there's nothing to do but try it, then." Eragon decided, voice determined. "His wards might not be able to completely block it."

"Okay..." Aragon said. His tone of voice suggested that it was against his better judgment but he turned to the task anyway.

After Aragon successfully completed the incantation, the flames briefly took on a silver color, but otherwise did not change. "Well." Aragon said, voice gruff, "I can't truly say I expected anything less. We'll have to wait him out."

A Jumper landed nearby, and Angel stepped out surprising both of them at her reappearance and saying, "If you intend to wait for him, you'll be waiting for two or three days. There's some food in the Jumper, and I took the rations from the other Jumper and put them in here as well. Good luck with him, he's liable to be half-blind with grief."

"How bad is it?" Aragon asked, giving up another incantation he'd decided to try and instead concentrating on Angel. "You sound like you've had experience with this before."

"Once." Angel replied, voice clipped and blue eyes wide. "I can't get into his mind, even with my ability to circumvent mental shielding. When this happened before, his mind went crazy with grief, and it was three or four months before he was able to reliably think straight. I was completely blocked out for three and a half days. Anyway, I need to get back to the city. Bye!" Angel walked up the ramp of the second jumper, leaving J7 with the Riders.

"If it's that bad, I'll wait in the Jumper." Aragon said. "I'm taking the front." Thelduin had reduced her size again, and was perched on her Rider's shoulders, still wearing the armor that had been given to her by Ajax.

Aragon had just tapped the door control when Eragon began banging on the door. Curious, Aragon opened the door to find Eragon standing there, expectantly.

"You better be here to tell me that he's dropped his shield." Aragon said. "I was just about to take a well-deserved nap."

"You can do that on the way back to the city." Eragon said. "Ajax dropped his fire-dome shield. He's headed here now."

Raising one eyebrow, Aragon looked out from the Jumper, and saw Ajax striding towards the Jumper. Previous to the rage-powered dome of fire, Ajax's attire was…less than complete, with the jeans having been converted from 'ratty' to 'heavily-depressed-ratty'. There had been bolter holes in almost every square inch of his apparel, with his old tennis shoes taking the least damage out of all. Now, Ajax was using the armor disk to provide him with a business suit, and as he strode towards the Jumper with his sunglasses on, he removed a toothpick from his mouth and chucked it behind him. A massive explosion ensued, cleaning a large portion of the desert of all the debris and bodies left behind in the aftermath.

"Round 'em up, we're headed back to Atlantis." Ajax said. Eragon and Aragon glanced at each other then picked seats in the forward compartment, and Ajax closed the rear door through the control interface at the pilot's seat.

Aragon began to berate Ajax for allowing Amaranth to be killed in action, but Ajax acted as if he couldn't hear him. As Aragon's volume increased, and the distance to the city decreased, Ajax finally swiveled to face Aragon.

"Look." he said, voice hard as steel "I appreciate that fact that you feel like berating me for my apparent carelessness. She and I got separated in the battle, and she must have deactivated her armor before it was safe to do so. I plead guilty to being far too busy with the fate of all of Alagaesia to keep track of Amaranth during the battle. I was certain she could take care of herself, and she must not have realized that one or two of them were still barely alive. Now, you can keep going here, and pointlessly waste your breath while I'm concentrating on flying, or you can wait 'til we land. Got it?"

Aragon looked shocked that Ajax would speak to him like that, and he managed to grind out "If you weren't flying right now, I'd shoot you for that."

"Noted." Ajax said indifferently. "Shoot me when we land if it makes you feel better. We'll be landing in two minutes, so if you have any special rituals you do with your firearms first, I recommend you do them now."

While Aragon fumed at Ajax's studied indifference, Eragon quietly sat back in his seat, swiveling it to face towards the partition door.

The jumper descended into the bay, whirring quietly as it powered down. A second after the jumper touched down, two shots rang out as Aragon fired his weapon. Eragon had slipped out pretty quickly, having been already on the move before the Jumper touched the recharge pad, but did not manage to get away before Aragon had fired.

Eragon winced as the shots rang out, his hearing was far better than the others in the Jumper, and Aragon's weapon was far louder than he was comfortable with.

Inside the Jumper, Ajax slumped sideways in his seat, white mist already pouring out of the wounds in his skull.

After several moments, Ajax took a deep breath, then stood up. Aragon was still scowling at him, and Ajax said "You shot me. Can we move on from this now?"

Aragon angrily muttered some choice words, but left the Jumper with Thelduin, unwilling to stay near Ajax any longer.

Ajax calmly powered down the Jumper, then flipped down the crystal banks in the overhead racks. After a moment, Ajax found what he was looking for, an empty crystal slot. Closing the other crystal bank, Ajax retrieved a crystal from a hidden compartment in the bulkhead wall.

Ajax then proceeded to hold the crystal up to the light, and peer critically at it before deciding which way it went in. As soon as the crystal engaged with the rest of the bank and lit up, Ajax quickly scooted over to the square hatch in the ceiling that had been installed as part of the Midway project.

The hatch opened, and Ajax caught Amaranth as she fell through the hatch.

She looked at him with one eye, then said _"Did we really have to do that?"_

_"Yeah. I've been wanting to show Aragon something new…I guess this qualifies. By the way, sorry 'bout the whole dome of fire and anguish thing. I should have realized that I passed certain abilities on through the link."_

_"Everyone makes mistakes, dear one. Mine was in removing the armor before I knew it was safe, yours was in not making the connection at first."_ Amaranth replied. She nuzzled into Ajax's business suit a little bit. _"Nice threads by the way."_

_"It's not quite my speed…I'm going to get changed."_ Ajax replied. After securing the Jumper, Ajax began walking to his quarters, and said, seemingly to no one in particular, "Yeah, it was a good day. Neh, aside from all the blood and death."

Angel was showing Aragon to his quarters, in all the preparations for battle, Aragon had not slept at all while on Atlantis.

"You shouldn't be so hard on Ajax." Angel declared, smiling up at Aragon. The Grey Rider looked down at the freaky six year-old, and said "Really."

"Yes, really." Angel insisted. "There was nothing he could have done about Amaranth dying, and for him to have flown the Jumper here after having half of his soul killed…that takes serious fortitude and control."

"And…?"

"The last time something even close to this magnitude happened, he wouldn't have been able to fly a Jumper. This was even bigger. Give him some space, and be nice to him for a bit, he still needs to recover."

"He seemed fine to me." Aragon growled. "Maybe you should look at him again."

Angel briefly looked into Aragon's mind, and saw that he spoke the truth. "I take all of that back." Angel said. "He's already recovered." Just as she was stopping in front of a door, she said "He should have told you. I'll have a talk with him."

"Should have told me what?" Aragon demanded.

Angel didn't reply, but silently opened the door, and motioned that Aragon should go in.

Aragon hesitantly went in, briefly checking for magical signs of tampering. "Thanks." he said. "I could sleep for a week."

_"And you will too, if I have anything to say about the matter."_ Thelduin said. _"You need to rest more than you have been lately."_

"I suppose you're right at that." Aragon replied. He removed his armor, then looked at the disk. "How is it-" he asked "that in full battle dress, this armor that I was wearing weighed no more than a feather? While we're at it, why does the disk weigh more than all the armor combined?"

The disk did not answer, and Thelduin didn't know. Annoyed, Aragon left the disk on the table, and went to sleep, Thelduin curling herself on top of him to ensure he stayed long enough.

A quiet rushing noise sounded in Aragon's head, nearly nine hours later. Thelduin had heard it as well, and shifted herself off of her Rider to allow him to get up.

In the other side of Atlantis, Ajax was doing much the same thing, though Amaranth hadn't been laying on him all night. A muttered word served to deactivate the mental alarm, and after dressing himself in his finest clothing, Ajax and Amaranth went to the South Hall for breakfast. Ajax had just set down the tray he was carrying when Aragon startled him into full wakefulness by arriving with a sharp _crack!_

"Gah!" Ajax said, jumping slightly. "Could you not do that while I'm not quite awake?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, didn't realize you could walk and talk while still being asleep." Aragon replied sarcastically then noticed the green Dragon peeking her head above the edge of the table, peering at him with bright eyes. Aragon nearly choked.

"My fatal flaw." Ajax retorted. "Waking up and going to sleep is a massive time-consuming operation similar to starting a 747." he rubbed his eyes blearily. "I forget if I actually got any rest last night or no." he said, sitting down.

Amaranth had size-shifted from her German-Sheppard size to her initial size, and was eating her meat while playfully dragging her tail through Ajax's food. At this point, most of his food was on the table beside the plate instead of on the plate.

Ajax just shook his head, and quickly ate his breakfast. After he had finished, a muttered spell dealt with the mess on the table before scooping up Amaranth, and placing her about his shoulders.

As he left the dining hall, some could hear Ajax quietly singing to himself. "Chim-chimminy, chim-chimminy, chim, chim cheroo. A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be…"

Aragon scowled at the door; Ajax had been trying to tell him something, he just knew it.

_Phoenix landing site:_

Several Jaffa had been badly wounded, and were due to return to their homeworld for treatment of their injuries. They were in _Phoenix's_ sickbay, while those who could still more or less move about were in other rooms. Teal'c and Bra'tac were staying with the wounded in sickbay, keeping vigil over their brothers.

The door hummed open to reveal Ajax. He was dressed in a ceremonial garment that had an exceptionally large cowl.

Bra'tac and Teal both went for their zats, and were ready to fire within two seconds of the door opening. Ajax stepped fully into the room, allowing the door to close behind him. After several tense seconds, Ajax flipped back the hood, allowing the two Jaffa to see his face.

A moment later, two zats powered down and were returned to their holsters.

"Why have you come?" Teal'c asked.

"Because you have wounded Jaffa here, and I have come to heal them of their injuries. Do you have an issue with that?"

The next two hours were spent healing the warriors that lay wounded throughout the ship.

"By the way, Teal'c. I just wanted to let you know that ART-1 has extended an invitation for you to come along on a mission if you'd like."

Teal'c thought about it for several minutes, then looked Ajax in the eye. "I will come." he said.

"Great! I'll see you in the Gate Room at oh-nine-hundred, then."

_I just don't know how to continue with this, but at least there's a mission to look forward to, so it's not all bad._

_NinthFeather: Well, I'm glad you like the battle. As for Ajax's new weapon, the Lyrical Fire project has been a long time coming, let me tell you._

_As far as killing Amaranth goes, yes, I suck at death scenes. Originally, it was supposed to be she landed on an unexploded missile with her armor down, and the missile exploded. Either way, what's been done is done._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Victory was never in doubt. The good guys always win, no matter what. (though I suppose if I were to leave it in doubt that it would make for a more interesting read…I'll have to try it!)_

_As far as your 'picture failure' bolter shells took out the cameras in relatively short order. I'll have better luck next epic battle._

_The bit about Aragon condemning Ajax for not taking better care of Amaranth is covered here._

_This chapter wasn't brought to you by anything, but it was edited by Avenging Angels. And now, for Avenging Angels to do the closing!_

_**Amaranth came back! Cool, that's really all I had to say.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Avenging Angels**_


	42. Naquada Promises

_How does that saying go? No rest for the innocent? No, that's not right…ah, whatever, let's just get on with it, yes?_

Max and Fang were in the Jumper bay waiting for Sheppard's team to arrive. Fang was pulling some sort of magic trick with a piece of string, it looked like a cat's cradle of sorts. After carefully extracting his fingers, he grabbed both ends of the string, and pulled. Several knots of varying size resulted, and he showed it to Max. "See? It's a message string. I read about them on the internet once."

"So what's it say?" Max asked, snuggling closer to Fang, his arms around her with the string closing the gap.

"I love you." he said simply and handed her the string.

Max accepted the string, her smile the only confirmation he needed that she loved it, and Fang smiled his special smile. Max had once said that he could stop the sun in it's tracks with that smile. But it only ever came out for Max.

They broke from a long kiss in time to hear voices from below coming up, accompanied with the tapping sounds of combat boots on laminated wood. A moment later, Sheppard trotted up the stairs and ran up the Jumper's ramp, past the two lovebirds.

"Max, Fang, check." he said, tapping out a crystal sequence. Just then, Ronon and Teyla ran up the ramp, choosing the rear seats in the forward compartment. Rodney walked in a moment later, taking the shotgun position that had been reserved for him.

"Is uh, is Teal'c coming along?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's supposed to be at the 'gate in a minute." Sheppard said, opening the lower level access door with a tap of the crystal.

The Jumper quietly descended into the Gate Room, where Sheppard proceeded to extend the drive pods and the weapon pods before retracting them again. Several moments later, Teal'c walked into the Gate Room with Ajax. He had his Jaffa staff weapon and his zatnickatel with him, while Ajax was bearing the _Lyrical Fire_.

As soon as they were aboard, Ajax hit the door control, and Sheppard moved the jumper up above the 'gate while Rodney dialed.

_P3X-779:_

An incoming wormhole connected, briefly flaring out before stabilizing. After a moment, a Jumper shot through, then cloaked. The ring shut down with a snapping sound, and the local wildlife resumed life as normal. Just like last time, the Jumper flew towards the caves with the naquada deposits.

The best quality about naquada is that it could be handled without fear in it's natural form, and was a tireless fuel source for things such as a naquada generator. The Phoenix took naquada for her sublight, hyperdrive, and trans-dimension drives, with very little refining. That was reason ART-1 came back to this world. Had it been anything less valuable, they would have scrubbed it based on the intel from their last trip there. As it was, armed with intel on how to deal with the threatening species, plus the value of the naquada they could get with just a little bit of effort…they wouldn't take no for an answer.

The Jumper landed, and Sheppard opened the door, peeking around the rim to be sure the cloak was still on. Seeing that it was, the group quickly emerged from the Jumper, making their way into the cave.

The cave was just as they had left it, unremarkable sandstone near the entrance, giving way to granite further in. After some time, they found where McKay had pried up several slabs of naquada for testing. It was relatively pure, and easily taken from the surrounding rock. This time, they had brought some hammers and chisels.

"We should have brought a geology team." McKay whined, picking at the pieces. "I could have supervised while you guys defended us with your gung-ho-ness."

Max rolled her eyes, and Fang grinned. "How much fun would that be McKay?" she teased, hands on her hips. "This way, if anything happens, we don't get anything done while the shooting is going on."

"My point exactly!" McKay complained, his eyes wide. "I don't want to be here any longer than we need to be!"

Max was about to make another smart comment about that, when Ajax broke in. "You guys smell that?"

"Smell what?" Max asked, turning serious, as he eyes snapped to Ajax and then flickered about the cave. Fang followed her gaze, glaring at the shadows.

"It's not something I can readily identify…it's kind of…wrong. That's about the best I can say about it." Ajax mumbled, hand on his chin as he looked deeper into the cave.

"What do you mean 'wrong'?" Sheppard demanded. Ajax turned to him, his face serious. "Well, whatever it is, it doesn't smell right."

He shifted the _Lyrical Fire_ to a more accessible position.

Max tensed up slightly in response to Ajax's words and actions, while Fang merely moved closer to Max, fingers flexing at his sides. He put his head down near Max's ear, and said something that had a soothing effect on Max; she loosened up considerably after he finished whispering and she nodded, eyes still narrowed.

McKay had started working some more naquada loose when they heard it: a grating scream that chilled everyone present.

Teal'c activated his staff, and Ronon pulled his blaster, while Max and Fang dropped into a defensive crouch, wings spread wide. The whole team exited the cave rather quickly, Max, Fang, Ronon and Teal'c covering for the rest of the team while Ajax did his best to cloak the retreating members of the team as the shadows came alive. White fangs gleamed and red eyes widened as the beast chased after the crew. Together, Max and Fang were flitting in and out of range of the monster, delivering jabs, punches and kicks to it's eyes while Teal'c simply leaned back to better aim, and stayed on the firing button.

The monster decided that it didn't like the yellow drabs of energy being sent towards it, and began trying to retreat, but was blinded by the constant attack on it's eyes.

"Max! Fang! Cover your eyes!" Ajax yelled, readying himself.

The pair did as instructed, diving away from the Nagir as Ajax approached. Ajax quickly summoned a concave mirror over each of the beast's eyes, then created a blindingly hot ball of white light between the mirror and the eye. This effectively burnt each eye as Ajax shifted the ball of light.

Ajax landed on the beast's head, and got a solid grip, then leaned over it's ear, hearing the Nagir's breath sawing in it's massive throat and smelling it's rancid breath.

"Now you listen to me, and you listen good, okay!" Ajax whispered harshly. "My friends and I are going to take some rock out of the cave that you tried to drive us out of. Now, I can kill you, and we'll leave it at that, or I can heal your eyes, and other wounds, and you can tell the others of your kind that we are not to be disturbed. _Comprendé_?"

The Nagir jerked it's head up and down, and Ajax healed it's eyes.

"Remember your end of the bargain." Ajax said seriously, then healed the rest of it's wounds. It took flight, with a sound not unlike a hawk's cry.

"It won't bother us again." Ajax said, coming to the mouth of the cave where Max, Fang and the others stood waiting. "Let's get us some rocks!"

They spent several hours prying up naquada from the floors and wall, not taking much from the ceilings because of worries about structural integrity. The group ended up filling the back of the Jumper with all the ore they had gathered, and three human avian hybrids flew alongside the Jumper back towards the 'gate as dusk fell. The Jumper went through the 'gate first, followed by Max, Fang and Ajax, each one following at a respectful distance.

After a frenzy of unloading, they finally got enough of the raw naquada out of the Jumper for Sheppard and the rest of the team to escape their temporary prison cell. Afterwards, Teal'c and Ajax were walking down the halls when talk turned to weapons.

"RononDex has a most interesting weapon." Teal'c said, glancing at Ajax. "I would very much like to acquire a weapon like it."

"I'll see what I can do." Ajax said. "I wouldn't mind obtaining a zatnickatel."

"Such a weapon is in abundant supply on Chulak." Teal'c noted. "It would be no great loss if I were to give you the one I have with me."

"Okay." Ajax said, fighting a grin. "I'll keep my eyes open for a blaster like Ronon's, and if I get one, I'll 'gate it to Earth, or send Phoenix with it."

"Your terms are acceptable." Teal'c said. They exchanged the customary Jaffa arm clasp, then Teal'c went to the ship while Ajax returned to his quarters to pick naquada fragments out of his wings.

The next day, the Jaffa had gathered their dead brethren, and the Phoenix was winding up her engines for the trip back home.

"Remember your promise." Teal'c said, handing Ajax the requested zatnickatel.

"I never forget my promises, Teal'c." Ajax said seriously, examining his new weapon. Then, addressing Bra'tac and Teal'c, he said "May the sun and wind be always at your back, and may you catch all your enemies off-guard. Godspeed."

The two Jaffa bowed in return, then turned and walked up the ramp into the ship.

The ramp closed, and the engine's pitch shifted from a dull roar to a shrill scream, ascending into the sky at ever-quickening speeds.

Ajax watched the ship until it was a small speck in the sky, then looked down at his zat. "Well, I guess I need to find a blaster like Ronon's." he said to himself. "Unless I could make one…" Ajax returned to his quarters with the expression of one in deep thought as he contemplated the problem of how to get the weapon Teal'c wanted. They were rare, so rare that only two people had been spotted with one and lived to tell the tale. Ronon was the first, the other was one of the Travelers.

"I need to ask Sheppard about that." he mused. Ajax went to find Sheppard, but Angel warned him off.

"I need to see Sheppard." Ajax said, looking down at the little blonde haired girl. "You know where I can find him?"

"I can't let you see him right now." Angel said, arms folded across her chest. "He's resting, and I'm not going to disturb that. He's exhausted from the naquada trip."

"Oh, okay." Ajax replied easily, not wanting to start anything. "Well, when he gets up, could you tell him that Ajax wanted to see him about the Travelers?"

"Sure." Angel said. "I'll tell him."

"Okay. I'm gonna fly for a bit…see you later." Ajax gave a jaunty half-wave, and walked out onto the balcony, looking down and around for several seconds before shoving off from the tower, free-falling for several seconds before opening his wings, and pulling out of the steep dive.

After an hour or so of solid flying, Ajax came upon the hulking near-ruin of Todd's ship. Landing nearby, he walked towards the ship as if he was just in the neighborhood and thought he'd drop by.

Todd met him near one of the doors.

"Ah, Ajax. I wasn't certain whether or not you had remembered your end of the bargain." Todd said smoothly.

"I gave you my word, Todd. I don't do that lightly." Ajax returned. "I just had a few things that I had to deal with in the aftermath, and it was a bit before I could come back and keep my promise."

"I see. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Ajax said. "Take your fill." Ajax had opened his shirt as he was talking, so that Todd wouldn't ruin it.

Like last time, Ajax held out for some time before finally succumbing to the shock and loss of life. After ten minutes, the fog drifted away, leaving Ajax young and alive again. Todd fed once more, and the desiccated Ajax took even longer to recover.

"Are you well?" Todd asked, though not out of pity, it was merely because he had noticed the change. "You keep taking longer to recover. The first time, you took but a minute, this last time, you took nearly half an hour."

"Yeah…I'm good. I need to go, but I just wanted to make sure I kept my promise." Ajax said, panting,. He stood up, then stumbled around dizzily. Lights spun before his eyes and his body felt as if he were floating in water. Pain lanced his skull until his felt blind. This hadn't happened before….

"I need to check the lunar charts, I think." Ajax said, recovering himself. "I'll have one of my smaller vessels take you back to the city." Todd said.

"Funny." Ajax said. "You sound concerned." His grip on the ship faltered, and he crumpled into a heap on the sand.

Todd regarded the human-avian hybrid for several seconds, then retrieved a Dart from the hangar of his cruiser. After scooping Ajax with the storage beam, Todd sent a message to Atlantis.

"Knock-knock." he called.

Chuck, sitting in Ops, picked up on the call. "Who's there?" he asked.

"The pizza man." Todd replied.

Sheppard walked in. "Really Todd? That's what you came up with? The pizza man?"

"Don't blame me, Sheppard. The kid with wings and a silver palm said that was the password to guarantee safe passage. I have a special delivery."

"Really?" Sheppard momentarily muted the microphone, then turned to the others in Ops. "What did he get high on this time?" He turned the microphone back on. "What's this delivery?"

"Oh, just someone who was keeping a promise he had made to me. He seems ill."

Chuck looked up to Sheppard and Dr. Wier. "He's just dropped off someone on the South Pier. Do we check it out?"

"I'm on it." Sheppard said, jogging up the stairs. Angel followed right behind him, her eyes wide, and ten seconds later, a cloaked Jumper was flying out towards where Todd had dropped off Ajax.

What they saw was Ajax, painfully slowly crawling towards the edge of the pier.

Sheppard set the Jumper down nearby, the door already opening. Angel and Sheppard rushed out of the Jumper, and Ajax jerkily turned towards them. "The water." he managed to say.

Angel nodded in understanding, reading his mind. "Help me." she said simply, speaking to Sheppard. "He needs to be thrown into the water."

"Are you kidding me?" Sheppard cried, staring at her in astonishment. "He can barely crawl, and he needs to go for a swim? No, I won't do it. I won't throw him to his death."

"He's immortal, remember?" Angel pointed out. "Trust me. He needs the water right now."

"I won't do it!" Sheppard repeated. "I'm taking him to Doc Beckett. He'll know what to do."

Angel's face showed a conflict of emotions, then hardened into determination.

_**"You will throw him into the water."**_ she said, her mental voice commanding and powerful.

Sheppard's eyes turned blank and he turned picking up the limp Rider, and throwing him into the water. As she heard the splash Angel released her hold on his mind.

"You made me do that?" Sheppard yelled, his eyes lighting up as he saw the ripples in the water and that Ajax's body had disappeared.

"You weren't listening to me." Angel said simply and shrugged. "I had to help him, and since you're stronger in terms of actual throwing power, I took control, and had you throw him in." she said calmly. "And before you make any decisions concerning my actions, remember that I'm part of the city."

"Is that a threat?" Sheppard asked quietly, his face hard as he glared at the young girl.

"No, I just wanted you to know that I've acted in his best interest, as would be fitting for this city to do." Angel replied, gesturing vaguely in the general direction of where Ajax had fallen. Then she turned and said over her shoulder as she headed for the ship, "Let's go back to Ops."

_Okay, that's done. I didn't think I'd manage it. Anywho, Answer to Readers:_

_Feather-san: The casual statement was intended as a warning for the two Riders…they deserve to know what's going on, right? As far as Amaranth, you knew she was coming back. You know I'm not about to kill a main like that. She'd have killed me if I even though about it. As it is, she dumped twenty gallons of ice-coldGatorade over my head. My white cargo shorts and tee-shirt are in the washer for the fifth time, trying to get that red color out. I'll be blasted if I'll go around wearing PINK clothing!_

_MBW: He had just taken a draft from his wine-skin that was full of Faelnirv. I think I should arrange for some lively trade between the elves and Atlantis for Faelnirv. As far as Angel telling Aragon to lighten up, I don't think he listened. Yeah, he heard the words coming out of her mouth, but paid them no heed._

_And now, Avenging Angels has the closing! Angels?_

**Wow a lot got done here today. My favorite part I have to say was Angel taking over Sheppard. It's a good reminder of just how powerful that little 7 year old girl is. Not only is she tuned into the city, but even before that she could control people. I'm betting the only ones she wouldn't control would be the Flock, Max more importantly. That's basically her leader, older sister, and mom all wrapped up into one.**

**Can you tell I'm partial to Maximum Ride in this fic.? lol**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	43. Red Moon Rising

Continuing on,

_Amaranth had been quietly sleeping in her Rider's quarters when she felt an urgent sense of need from her Rider. Leaping down from the bed she left the room quickly, trying to get out to her Rider when a most peculiar sensation came through the link, accompanied by the feeling that whatever Ajax had needed, he had gotten. For some reason, continuing on towards her goal had become far harder, and when she examined herself, she saw why._

_Her scales had changed color, becoming a sea-green instead of her normal emerald color. Her legs had changed as well, becoming fins, and her wings had done the same. On the whole, her body had slimmed down considerably, and lengthened in direct proportion. On the inside though, nothing had changed, and Amaranth decided that it did not matter in comparison to the urgency of what her Rider must have faced._

_Passers-by were kind enough to open doors for her as she flopped her way towards the pier, and one of McKay's underlings even went so far as to carry her out to the edge of the pier before dashing to McKay's lab. Amaranth didn't turn to watch them go, she leapt out, folding her wings along her body, and dove head first into the water._

_Ajax was slowly drifting to the ocean floor, nearly completely drained._

_The only word Amaranth got from him before he slipped out of consciousness was "…moon…pool…"_

Feeling rather desperate, Amaranth grabbed her Rider's arm, and began towing him towards the moon-pool.

_Meanwhile, on Atlantis:_

"I think that Ajax is very likely to be incapacitated for three or four days." Angel stated, her face utterly calm. "The red moon is upon us, and it affects those of us who have the gift-curse. I must go, before it weakens me as well. I will recover quicker than anyone else, because I haven't been jumping in front of knives, so to speak."

So saying, Angel left Dr. Wier's office before she could say anything, and jumped off the balcony, spreading her wings as she did so.

_Nasuada's chambers, Uru'Baen:_

The mermaid trio had dropped in on Nasuada, and she had decided to invite them for tea. They had been engaged in a rather lively discussion about politics when Cleo doubled over with a groan. The other two mermaids were experiencing similar pain in their stomach, though not quite as bad.

The Queen looked at them with concern. "Are you well?" she asked. The question was rhetorical, as anyone not completely deaf and blind could tell that they weren't well.

"We will be." Nikki managed. "In two or three days. I'm going to guess that there's going to be a red moon tonight."

Emma spoke up then. "I think the reason we're in so much pain is because the tea was poisoned."

Nasuada's eyes went wide, and Emma saw the look, adding "Your charm would have protected you from it, just like our immortality would protect us. I never should have known it was poisoned, had I not checked."

"What does that have to do with a 'red moon'?" Nasuada asked, setting down her cup and sliding it away with the tips of her fingers.

"The red moon takes away our powers, unless we're in the moon pool. Essentially, we're slowly loosing our abilities, and will continue to do so until we get back to the moon pool. Our powers should return two or three days from now if we don't go to the moon-pool tonight." Emma replied. "It won't kill us directly, but we would have to be extremely careful about potential threats."

"So what will you do about it?" Nasuada asked carefully. She didn't want to offend these three, even if they weren't as powerful right now as they could be.

"We'll see about getting back to the moon-pool as soon as we can." Nikki said, sitting up a bit straighter. "The pain had passed for now, most of it anyway."

It was true, the three mermaids seemed to have recovered somewhat, though Cleo's face was still drawn with the pain she had recently endured.

"What will you do now?" Nasuada asked.

"We'll be taking the Jumper to Atlantis." Nikki replied.

"Yes, from there we can swim to the moon-pool. Hopefully, we'll keep the ability to change for a little longer." Emma added, glancing at the other mermaids who nodded.

"Then there is not a moment to lose." Nasuada said, yanking a bell-cord, then yanking it twice in sharp succession.

A moment later, the door opened, and Nasuada's military commander walked in. "Yes, my lady?" he asked on the bow.

"Someone poisoned the tea." Nasuada declared.

"Then I will seek out the doers of this evil deed, and make them pay." Jörmunder growled, eyes narrowing. He turned to go, but Nasuada intervened.

"You'll do no such thing." she declared. The commander stopped in his tracks.

"My lady?"

"You will escort these three to their Jumper. Make sure no harm befalls them." the Queen stated.

"As you command." Jörmunder said, wondering but not daring to question. "What shall be done about the perpetrators of this foul deed?"

"Nothing." Nasuada said. "I have this." She lifted the necklace with the miniature Stargate hanging from it. "It will protect me from any harm that may befall me, remember? Only old age will destroy me. Now go."

Jörmunder ran from the room, the mermaids following behind him. There had been two agents still left over from Galbatorix' rule, and without warning, they dropped from the ceiling, a sword in one hand, and their other hand raised to use magic.

Nikki didn't even think about it. _"Jierda!" _she cried, tapping her magic slightly. The arms of their would-be attackers shattered in several places, causing them to drop to the floor, howling in pain.

Their escort seemed to think about lopping their heads off with his sword, but quickly decided against it. His orders were clear, and they were not a threat anymore.

The group proceeded, pausing as Cleo doubled over again. Of the three, she had consumed the most poison. Jörmunder didn't even hesitate, just scooped up Cleo, and carried her the rest of the way. The Jumper had been left in a courtyard specially designated for Jumper landings, with there being enough space for someone to land three Jumpers and still have plenty of space.

The door was open, and Nikki, who had had the least amount of tea, took the controls. Jörmunder and Emma carefully secured the groaning Cleo on one of the benches, then Jörmunder jumped clear of the door before saying "Good luck!"

As soon as Nikki had the Jumper high enough, she opened the throttle to full power, rocketing back to Atlantis.

_In Ops:_

"Dr. Wier? J5 is approaching at full speed." Chuck said, leaning back to look toward Dr. Wier's office.

"Understood." Dr Wier stated. Then a realization struck her. "I loaned that Jumper to the mermaid trio early this morning. Whatever is afflicting Angel and Ajax is affecting them too. I want you to send a pilot down to the pier if they decide not to land in the tower."

"Understood."

_Mako Island:_

The peaceful appearance of the island belied it's importance to five individuals. Ajax and Angel arrived at much the same time, due to the fact that Amaranth had to tow her Rider into the pool, whereas Angel managed the trip under her own power. Fifteen minutes later, three mermaids slid into the pool, drifting in on their momentum.

The sight that greeted the trio was surprising. Amaranth was curled up near Ajax's head, and Ajax had been half-beached.

"The red moon." Nikki said in response to Angel's inquiring look. "It will temporarily strip us of our powers, and it's far worse if we aren't here."

Angel nodded in understanding. While it was true that she and Ajax also shared the gift/curse, she knew that she would never have what the mermaid trio had. "He's coming to." Angel said. "This place acts to insulate us from the effects of the red moon, right?"

"Yeah. We'll still be completely normal for two or three hours, around midnight, but it won't be as hard to deal with, nor will it last as long." Emma replied.

"Whatever you do tonight Angel, DON'T look at the moon, or so help me, the three of us will destroy you in order to protect this world from the effects of a red mermaid." Nikki threatened. "That goes for you too, Ajax." she added sternly.

"Yeah, sounds cool." Ajax said wearily, rolling over and coughing up water. "I don't think I'll be doing much of anything right now…" his head dropped back to the sand. Amaranth, who had been watching intently, looked mournfully towards the three as her Rider passed out again, then heaved a sigh and put her head back down near Ajax's face.

"Really, Nikki? Really?" Emma asked incredulously. "He looks half-dead, not like he's about to look at the moon or anything."

"We already know the danger of it. I just don't want those two doing stupid stuff for three or four days because of the stupid moon." Nikki replied stubbornly. "Do you know the sort of stuff they could do, especially with his training?"

Amaranth looked at Nikki, then curled her lip to expose her fangs, and hissed slightly. _"If you must insult my Rider, do it while he's awake and do it to his face. Do NOT presume that you can gossip behind his back about him. He will not fall under the influence of this red moon."_

Nikki's eyebrows shot up, then lowered as Amaranth spoke, projecting to all present.

"And just how exactly do you know that?" Nikki demanded. After a moment, she softened. "You can't know for certain until it's past, that's just how it is, Amaranth."

Amaranth put her head back down, then raised it again as Ajax came to once more.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Emma said. Her tone suggested that she was just teasing, but her face showed her concern. "You gonna be all right?"

"Sure…eventually. What the heck happened?" Ajax responded.

"I'm going to guess you were pretty close to dead recently." Nikki replied. "The red moon is tonight, and it temporarily disrupts our abilities. At it's peak, we won't be mermaids at all."

"Great, just great." Ajax said. "I've been flirting with death quite a bit since just before the Chaos incursion. I guess this means I'm pretty screwed tonight?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Emma said.

Ajax just shook his head and groaned.

_The Hadarac:_

Todd had returned to his vessel, and transferred what he had taken from Ajax into the ship, revitalizing the bulkheads and outer hull. The ship did not require food the way the Wraith aboard the ship did, but food consumed by a Wraith and then transferred into the ship would help regeneration significantly.

The ship took off, and Rodney 'gated to the forest to re-activate the shield after Todd's cruiser had cleared it's boundaries.

For now, it seemed like nothing was amiss…

_Okay, slightly shorter than normal, but that's okay, because I'm updating sooner than normal!_

_Anyway, time for A2R:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: There's your power twist. He wasn't too devil-may-care, just completely clueless about what the lunar cycle was about to do to him._

_black dragon: You raise an excellent point, and I apologize for neglecting them as long as I did. This issue has been rectified by the latest installment of TSoA, yes?_

_NinthFeather: Here's your answer to the issues Ajax is facing. Also, I was trying harder with the idea of 'painting the landscape' for my readers, and Avenging Angels seems to be able to do that far better than me. Still, the fact that you noticed means that I was doing even better than I thought. Yay. As far as the MC ability, she knows Max will come down around her ears if she tries it under circumstances less dire than this._

**And now for the closing by Avenging Angels, the editor here at TSoA! The stage is yours.**

**H'm, if I really was a part of this story, I wonder what character I would be? I'm partial to Maximum Ride, I love her smart ass attitude and sarcastic, kick butt nature. If I had to choose that'd be me. Ha, but I'll be content to just edit. So, R&R people! Hideout Writer works hard to get these chapters to you. He deserves some feed back!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	44. Doru Araeba

_"So…what's next?" you ask. I reply with "Read on, and find out!"_

_Ops:_

"Where's Angel?" Max demanded, charging up the steps, eyes narrowed and scanning the room. "I've been looking all over for her, but can't find her."

Dr. Wier looked up from her tablet, where she had been reading some more stuff on Ascension.

"I think she went to the island. She popped in shortly after Todd brought Ajax back on a Dart, and she said something along the lines of the red moon affecting everyone with the gift-curse? I let her go, seeing as how I can't really stop her."

"I see." Max said, thoughtful. After a moment, she nodded, seemingly lost in thought. "Well, thanks for your help." She left Ops, back in thought again.

_Ride's Quarters:_

Aragon was leaning in the doorway while Fang was putting a few things away.

"So," Fang said, turning to Aragon. "You want Max and I to come with you? To Doru Araeba? Why?"

"To scout from the air. If there's anything there, I'd like to know about it, preferably _before_ it tries to eat me." Aragon replied, his voice casual but insistant. "So are you coming?"

"Let me talk it over with Max." Fang said. "She should be back soon, I think she went to find Angel."

Aragon merely sat down on the floor, and waited for Fang to answer the question.

A moment later, Max arrived. Fang barely thought about it, just engaged Max in a long, tender kiss.

"What was that for?" Max asked, her eyes full of surprise as she looked at him.

"Doru Araeba." Fang whispered, nodding his head towards the Rider. "Aragon wants us to go with him, and scout it out from the air while he analyzes the damage, and works on restoring the city to it's former glory."

"Why not?" Max said, a grin lighting her lips. She reached up and pressed her lips to his once more, briefly.

"We'll come." Fang said.

Aragon pretended not to notice the extreme PDA between the two, and began walking back towards the main tower. Max and Fang quickly caught up with him, and when they were close enough, he aparated to the main Jumper bay.

As soon as the magic had released it's hold on them, Max and Fang put some distance between themselves and Aragon.

"And I thought _Phoenix_'s beaming was bad." Max muttered, shaking her head sending her long, blond hair over her shoulders. "Try not to do that again."

"Right, I'll try." Aragon replied.

The three walked up the ramp of J7, lights powering on as Aragon walked past them.

Aragon sat down at the controls and guided the craft out of the tower. After getting high enough, Aragon opened the throttle to full power, and the jumper surged forward, racing North towards Doru Araeba.

After ten minutes in this fashion, Aragon brought the jumper to a near-standstill, and opened the rear door.

"You lovebirds want to jump out here while I land, or do you want to come with?" Aragon asked. Thelduin raised her head from the position she had been sleeping in, and looked at the two with gleaming, gray eyes.

Max cast a look at the gray dragon, which in her mind still seemed more like a snake than a dragon, and said, "We'll jump."

Max and Fang interlaced their fingers and leapt together in a display of incredible coordination. Their wings snapped out at the exact same moment and began beating at odds so that they didn't hit one another, soaring upwards before leveling out and waving back at him.

Aragon just smirked, and took the jumper down, guiding the ship in a slow counterclockwise flat spin to better survey prospective landing areas.

Finding a suitable spot, he checked his weapons, and made sure that he had his radio on in case Max or Fang ever found anything mentionable. After seeing how they were in the corridor, though, Aragon wondered if they would actually scout out anything other than each other's bodies.

_"Well, at least they have their privacy." _Aragon though dryly.

While he and Thelduin worked with clearing the brush and rubble from the front gate of the city, Max and Fang flew overhead, looking at everything.

Suddenly, something caught Max's eye, and she banked into a dive, heading towards something on the ground. She landed quietly, dust billowing up under her feet, and folded in her wings. Fang, by a prearranged signal, remained in the sky though he hovered close by, eyes glued to the ground.

After a few seconds of looking around, Max found what had caught her eye. It was a tiger-striped stone, resting in a concave depression in the rock face, ivy growing in such a way that it could only be seen from the sky. Max pulled her pocketknife, and hacked away the vines until she could reach for the stone.

As soon as she touched the stone, she felt that she should never allow it to leave her sight. A strange pull seemed to emanate from it, drawing her to it. After some thought on the matter, she whipped off her backpack and stuffed the stone into it. That done, she took to the skies again, though much slower due to the new weight.

"_What is that stone?" _Max thought, those four words echoing in her mind.

"You good?" Fang asked, when Max was back up to altitude.

"Yeah, I'm good, just found something interesting. I'll check it out more when we get back to Atlantis." her tone of voice suggested she didn't wish to talk further about it, and Fang did not press her, knowing full well it wouldn't do either of them any good.

They had been flying in wide circles around Aragon for three hours before they saw anything.

"Uh, Aragon?" Max said into her radio. "There's something that reminds me of some pictures I saw of the Komodo species. He might be interested in you."

"Thanks for the head's up." Aragon's disembodied voice replied. "I'll see about it."

With their ability to see much farther than ordinary humans, Max and Fang watched as Aragon drew his sword, then placed it on his back, releasing it as soon as it had touched his back.

As he kept working, the komodo dragon moved out of the underbrush, and looked inquisitively at Aragon, sniffing at the air with his tongue.

Aragon began reaching for his sword with one hand, working with the other. The komodo left, still flicking out it's tongue, it's dark eyes bright with curiosity. A moment later, it rushed back towards Aragon , and Aragon didn't bother to make a show of reaching for his sword, just slashed the beast in half with one quick stroke, slinging blood across the sand.

After wiping off his blade, Aragon mag-locked his sword again, and resumed his work.

After the komodo dragon had been killed, nothing else dared to attack, smelling the carcass nearby seemed to warn them off, for the time being.

It was approaching seven thirty that evening when Aragon called Max on the radio.

"I'm taking the Jumper back to Atlantis in five minutes. It's just about too dark to keep going, unless I use magic, and I've been working at this all day."

"Roger that, Max out."

The two human-avian hybrids flipped over, diving out of the sky to where Aragon had landed the Jumper that morning.

Despite the fact that they had eaten breakfast that morning, and had packed a decent amount of food with them for lunch, Max's stomach was gurgling as she landed. Fang's stomach, almost as talkative as Fang, uttered one complaint, then fell silent.

Aragon looked at them both, then took off, the door closing as the small craft left the ground.

"So, how much did you get done today?" Max asked, talking for the sake of conversation.

"Eh, I repaired the gates, as well as the structures supporting them, and cleared a massive amount of vines today, some of it poison ivy, most of it bind-weed, and precious little of it the decorative ivy that used to hang from some of the parapets." Aragon shook his head as if annoyed. "The place has gone to hell while that thrice-damned traitor played king. I wish I could have been the one to wring his sorry neck!"

"Ajax killed him by an accident. He intended to bring the bad guy to a swift trial, execution afterwards." Max said quietly, eyes distant. "He wasn't terribly happy about Galbatorix deliberately falling over his sword."

Aragon just quietly swore in response, and fell silent as he flew back to Atlantis.

After a few minutes spent in silence, Max noticed the moon. "Aragon? Have you ever seen the moon looking like that?"

Aragon looked at the celestial body with great interest. It was in the full phase, and deep, blood red.

"I very much doubt that's going to be good." Aragon said, gazing out at it.

"I hope Angel's alright. From what I heard, she's going to be affected by that ball of red light hanging in the sky." Max murmured.

"Do you want to swing over to the island?" Aragon asked.

He threw a concerned glance towards Max, who was drumming her fingers nervously on the dash.

"Yeah…right after we grab something to eat. I'm starved." Max said at last, her eyes flickering to Fang who nodded.

Aragon jerked his head in acknowledgement, then applied full power to the engines, sending the Jumper hurtling towards Atlantis.

_In the moonpool:_

Ajax had been in and out of consciousness for most of the time he was in the moonpool. Amaranth, her eyes expressing her concern, had stayed near her Rider, occasionally nosing gently at his face.

Darkness had fallen, and the four girls were busy chatting about a number of subjects, as well as coming up with a way to make sure they didn't look at the red moon.

"So, Ajax, you're NOT to look at the moon, remember?" Nikki asked, calling over to him from across the pool.

Ajax merely drifted back into unconsciousness.

Two hours later, Ajax had stopped shifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, though he still looked extremely tired and drawn with pain.

"The moon approaches." Angel said. "Shield your eyes." She closed her eyes, and placed her hands over her them just in case, then flipped over so she would be faced away from the moon when it passed over.

Ajax did not register her words, fighting just to stay conscious. He was floating, face up so he could breath, nearly directly under the opening in the mountain of Mako. His eyes would drift open and closed at random intervals, and his breathing was still very shallow.

The moon appeared through the opening, and just as it was completely over the opening, Ajax's eyes drifted open again.

_Sorry for cutting it short, but the entire next chapter will be from Ajax's perspective. You wanted that unreliable narrator, NinthFeather? Next chapter, you get it! Now, I think I stopped at the hardware store for some Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: She's not exactly a sea-serpent. More like a sea-dragon. (Breathing water instead of fire…that could get interesting!) As far as your below entry-level knowledge, it should be enough to tide you over. I know even less about WH40k than you know about H2o:JAW._

_NinthFeather: Crazy? This will make Galbatorix and Chaos look like the good guys!_

_And will Avenging Angels close for us?_

**I don't have much to say today besides….school sucks!**

**That is all.**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	45. Red Ajax

Step One: Find 'Any Means Necessary' by Hammerfall. You can find it on video-watching site You tube

Step Two: Play aforementioned song.

_Step Three: You are now qualified to read this chapter, feel free to read it!_

_Step Four: Review!_

_Step Five: Wait for the next chapter._

_Ajax's POV:_

I was weak. It wasn't until now that I realized exactly how weak I was, but when my eyes drifted open to behold that beautiful orb referred to as the moon, my strength returned. For several moments, I just floated there, watching the moon as it slid away from my viewpoint.

Once it had cleared, I got into a more comfortable position, and took a breath to speak. "The moon's clear, girls." I sneered, my voice lofty. "You can quit hiding now."

Angel looked up, her eyes locking with mine, and she gasped, shrinking away from me as much as possible. I did not view that as a positive development, and moved to damage control.

"Hey, don't worry." I said, trying to soothe her, raising my hands to show her they were empty. "I won't hurt you, you're like me."

"I'm nothing like you." she said quietly, blue eyes wide. "You're a monster."

She was not going to be reasoned with, this much I could tell, so I abandoned the effort. "Aww, so hurtful. Are you always this way? Is that what Max remembers her baby being like?"

She looked at me, fire in her eyes. Maybe I used too much sarcasm.

She swam over to me, and for a moment, I half believed she might join me. But I quickly found out otherwise when she slugged me as hard as she could in the stomach.

For some reason, Amaranth seemed to support her.

_"Dear one, what has happened to you? Why are you this way?" _she asked, her mental voice sounding slightly worried as it rocked about my mind. I laughed, a cold, mirthless laugh. "I have become strong. And I am this way because I can be. What more reason do I need?"

Somehow, she looked shocked and saddened by my declaration. I didn't care, and swam out through the tunnel surfacing outside the island just as Max and Fang dropped onto the beach.

I snorted, they were probably here to check up on their baby girl. They gave Angel just about everything she wanted. What a spoiled brat.

I dove back under the waves, somehow, out here, the moon was nowhere as close to as captivating as it was back in the little volcanic projection of an island. As I churned back towards the city of Atlantis, I began to hear voices in my head. These voices weren't Amaranth or any of the others in the moon-pool, nor were they any of the people on Atlantis.

They whispered new ideas into my mind, teaching me new things about war and torture, two of my favorite subjects, and as they talked, I realized that they were the twisted souls of those that had been destroyed by the previous user of this body, and they needed to be avenged.

As near as I could tell, and the souls seemed to support me, Aragon would be the biggest threat to my continued existence. If I dealt with him now, I wouldn't have to worry about him later. Eragon was far too moral, I'd probably have to get rid of him too, but Murtagh had potential. He had served on the right side before, the dark side, maybe he would do it again? From there, it wouldn't take long to set myself up as king over all of Alagaesia. With my prodigious power, I could control even more territory than the previous ruler had.

My musings were cut short as I noticed Atlantis five feet in front of me. I vaulted out of the water in three powerful strokes, and dried myself before I even touched the deck plates.

As I walked towards the main tower, I saw the door open, and someone with a pearl-grey sword exited. Aragon. My eyes narrowed, I was not looking forward to dealing with this threat, as the old saying goes, 'it's only fun if they can't bite back.'

I stopped, and waited for him to approach. "Maybe he won't notice until it's too late." I thought, seeing him notice me and wave as he veered towards me. _"It would be far easier that way. Blasted moon is lighting this whole pier though, so I doubt he'll miss me. Still, it's better to be ready for him than for him to be ready for me."_

I realized that he might notice something amiss, so I tried to imagine what the weaker person in this body would do. Aside from reveal my little secret, that is. Even now, I could hear him crying out, doing everything he could to seize control. Eventually, unless I dealt with it correctly, he would regain control, destroying me in the process. Still, I had to act like I was still that weaker person until it was too late for the others.

"I thought the red moon severely weakened you." Aragon said, walking up to me. His gray eyes looking me over with slight surprise.

"It did, but I got my strength back when the moon passed over the opening of the volcano." I replied easily, trying to act casual.

"Damn, it changed you. You aren't the Ajax I knew." Aragon said, stepping back. He drew his sword, and I eyed it warily.

"Are you about to slice me into ribbons? Because I'm not very fond of the idea." I growled, fingers flexing at my sides and my head bowed slightly as I glared at him.

"The idea had crossed my mind." came the rejoinder. "Besides, it's not like you'd actually die from it. I saw you on the battlefield not long ago."

"That wasn't me!" I snarled, eyes blazing. "A lot of good people lost their lives that day due to my actions. I should never have let that happen!"

**"Heretic!" **Aragon roared. At that moment in time, I realized he was going to attack, so I prepared to evade. Sure enough, he came at me, a little faster than I had anticipated, his center of gravity low to the ground.

I flexed my knees, and jumped straight up, snapping out my wings and stroking them downward to gain more altitude.

What he did next surprised me. He skidded to a stop on the pier, then put away his sword, and pulled out a slender stick instead. He started exclaiming weird things, and after a while, I realized it was Latin. With each exclamation, a burst of light came out of the wand, flying towards me.

"Hey!" I yelled, dropping my right wing so that I slid sideways in the air. "This isn't dodge ball. I would very much appreciate it if you would quit firing those at me!"

To my surprise, he stopped. I landed in front of him, though well out of range of his sword. That was when I realized that his snake-like dragon was gone.

I immediately put up shields against Thelduin, ensuring that I would not be ambushed by the wily dragoness. Mere seconds later, they flickered around me as she impacted at full force.

I shook my head with mock wisdom. "I have shields against that, you know." I said sweetly, watching the fully sized dragoness as she snapped and clawed at my defenses but to no avail.

Aragon grimaced, and tried his staff. Having gleaned through the original owner's memories, I knew that he had destroyed a great many soldiers in the desert with that very staff. I adjusted my shields, and caught the blast of magic, allowing it to dissipate rather than fire it back at him. Despite what everyone else said, it just didn't seem sporting to use his own magic against him when I could easily crush him with my own.

Still, it _was_ a tempting thought.

I raised my left arm, and uttered a handful of words from the ancient language that came easily to my tongue. My spell quickly pulled metal from the water of the ocean, forming a bracer over my left forearm. It had two grooves on it, one near each end, and as my spell continued, a second bracer formed over the first, with ball bearings between the two. From there, two pairs of rods grew from opposite sides of the bracer. One pair was on each side, aligned front to back. On each set of the rods formed a cannon, whimsically shaped like a warp nacelle from a Galaxy or Nebula class starship of the Federation.

My spell complete, I uttered another word, and the outer bracer began to spin, one cannon on either side of the bracer, orbiting my arm at increasingly swift speeds.

"Ready to see what this bad boy does, Aragon?" I taunted.

He didn't reply, just swished his smaller stick around, saying some stuff in Latin I couldn't understand. "I'll take that to be a yes, then." I said, grinning. I fired the weapon, and twin bolts of plasma struck him square in the chest, where a wall of light over that area was flickering, attempting to hold out against my concentrated stream of warp plasma.

I ran out of plasma after about ten seconds, his shields failing a moment later as the last of the plasma reached him. He staggered back, then uttered another incantation. Green lights rose from the sea, attaching themselves to his plasma burns, and healing them. A word and a flick of his wand, and his clothes repaired themselves as well. He then took a deep breath, and glared at me.

I scowled, he was evidently not going to go down easily, his dragon was now at his back, fangs barred at me as she leapt up into the sky.

Using some basic alchemy to change weapons, I fired my rotating disruptors at him, these being met with an annoyingly strong shield that had appeared from his wand. Just then, I saw a bright light coming from the sky towards me. I just about jumped into hyperspace, I was moving so fast, and behind me, Atlantis absorbed a massive energy blast from a pair of equally massive cannons that the snake-dragon was wielding.

I swore harshly. _That nearly took me out!_

She merely took aim and fired again. And again. And again. And again. And again. I began to feel like I was in an anime fight, where the antagonist or the protagonist, depending, was bouncing along like a neurotic super bouncy ball, explosions right behind.

A thought struck me, and I used a transport spell I had learned from Eragon. It had never been used to transport people, but it could shift something from point A to point B for one price of energy that didn't vary depending on the distance.

I exploded out of thin air, directly next to Aragon, and the force of the blast sent him flying directly towards his trigger happy dragon. Without any further thought, I jumped back into the water.

The change washed over me, and I was again one with the water, working with the currents to gain speed. After several moments, I stopped, and asked myself why I was running away.

_"I had the element of surprise, yet instead of following up, I dove off the pier, and ran away. What is wrong with me? I'll go back and make a pepperoni and dragon pizza, with Aragon's blood for the sauce! …forty-five minutes at three-fifty, or until golden brown, then let cool…now I'm getting hungry!"_

My mind made up, I reversed course, and charged out of the water, shields prepared for the cannons that the dragoness was bearing.

Upon landing, already dry, I walked over to Aragon, who seemed to be working on a problem in his head.

"You have two choices." I stated emotionlessly. "Join me, or die."

Aragon just put his hand on his chin, still acting like he was deep in thought. Thelduin, on the other hand, brought her head to my level, then nodded her head.

I took this to be a positive sign, then she quickly wound herself around her Rider, creating a tower around Aragon as smoked curled from her nostrils and her grey eyes stared me down.

_"We will never join you." _Thelduin announced into my mind. She then stabbed at my mind with hers, making me dizzy with pain. She stabbed again and again, while I desperately threw up barriers.

Nothing worked, the barriers didn't even blunt the points of her jabs, and I shifted tactics, swiftly creating a mental cannon.

_"You want a mental fight, well, here it is!" _I fired back, just as she made another jab at my mind.

It worked, and the she-dragon recoiled, crying in pain. Aragon jabbed at me with his mind, and I upped the power on the cannon, using power derived from the warp.

The effect toppled them both, and I relaxed, then strode over to where Aragon lay on the deck-plates in a living dragon-hide sleeping bag.

"Pathetic." I sneered, kicking at him. "You don't even deserve to die by my hand!"

"Oh…yeah?" Aragon gasped out. "Well, Petrificus Totalus!" a bright light flashed out from between two coils of Thelduin, striking me full in the chest.

I plunged myself into a state of unconsciousness, choosing to hide under it's cover to wait out whatever spell had been used on me. I stayed in this state for two hours, then surfaced again.

The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't move. At all. The second thing that I noticed was that Aragon was using his stick to levitate me to my room, or a holding cell, I wasn't sure which.

"Oh, good." I heard Aragon say. "He's awake." his words were slathered in sarcasm, and even I winced from it.

_"Did he get lessons in sarcasm from Max? She's the only one I know of who can use that much sarcasm effectively." _I thought. I was jerked from my thoughts by Aragon stopping his spell that had kept me airborne, and I dropped to the floor of the holding cell.

I was still completely unable to move, which left me with only one activity to focus on: getting free, then killing Aragon.

I had been dropped in such a way as to be able to see people coming towards my cell, and Aragon stepped out of the cell, and closed the door behind, activating the force fields to ensure containment.

After some time spent in review of Latin, I began thinking Latin words as loudly as I could. The problem was, the volume was still very low, and I didn't even know if it would work.

After several tries, I realized what I had been doing wrong. I wasn't putting my magical strength behind it! Once again, I tried several spells, causing a couple of decent explosions.

Finally, I stumbled upon something. _"Finite." _The world opened up again, and the first thing I did was heal myself. The next order of business was to get out of here: only one entrance and exit made it very easy for them to try and stop me, and those explosions wouldn't exactly go unnoticed.

I levitated a crystal out of the tray, causing the field to go down, and then I tapped a button on the control panel, opening the door. I wanted to keep this quiet, so I carefully engineered a stun field, magical of course, because I didn't want Atlantis to detect it. I quietly took down two people who had been rushing to take care of me, and then I hunkered down to quickly add a patch to it that would slow down bullets, allowing me to dodge them with ease.

Aragon would pay for what he had done to me, but I would have to make sure to avoid the spells he seemed to enjoy flinging at me.

I continued on, a scowl scribed on my face, tensed for battle.

Shortly after I had patched my little protection field, Atlantis went into lock-down. Either they had figured out what was going on far sooner than I had hoped, or I had hit an ATA carrier, or Angel was back on her feet, and tied into the city. I dearly hoped it was the first or second, Angel would be very hard to deal with.

After manipulating my fourth crystal tray in a row, I came to a balcony.

The door groaned closed behind me, and I growled at it. The city being in league with Aragon would be nearly impossible to deal with. I jumped clear of the balcony, spreading my wings and gliding down to the deck.

"Come out if you dare, Aragon!" I challenged from the relative safety of the pier. I knew where his quarters were located, and figured he could hear me from my current position.

A single drone flew up from a circular hatch nearby, it's golden glow bathing me in bright light.

_"Damn, now I've got to play dodge-ball with a mentally guided missile that's probably being used by Angel, which means she's probably recovered." _Sure enough, the sun was rising, meaning that Angel and the others were back to full strength. Aragon walked out of a door in the nearby tower, Thelduin loosely coiled about his shoulder, hissing.

"How'd you get free of that full body-bind?" Aragon inquired pleasantly, arms folded casually across his chest.

I knew right off he was forcing it, that his posture was lying. He was madder than hell about this whole thing, and I knew it.

"Eh, a little Latin here, some mental shouting there, mixed with a little bit of tapping into my magic." I replied, jerking to dodge the drone again. For some reason, it dropped back down into it's hole, and shut down. I looked suspiciously at it for a moment, the dodged yet another Latin exclamation from Aragon.

It was then that it hit me: I had not taken the golden opportunity offered me to tighten my control over this host; I was loosing control and my attention was divided. Acting on sheer impulse alone, I jumped straight up, just in time to avoid getting hit by an inordinately powerful auto cannon shot. Once again, I used the transport spell to place myself directly behind Aragon, and once again, Aragon found himself hugging his trigger-happy dragon.

The difference this time was the fact that I was rapidly losing control.

I tried to run, but the host body no longer obeyed me. Moments later, I was flung clear of my host, banished back to the red moon to try again some other time. As I caught one last glimpse of my former host, it seemed to fold in on itself, just in time to miss getting hit with another one of Aragon's spells.

The battle was over, for now.

They had beaten me.

_THAT was hard to write!_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I'm glad last chapter was still good, despite it's 'fun' size. I'll be covering the Doru Areaba angle more in later chapters._

_NinthFeather: I needed all that good luck you wished me, much appreciated. What you just saw was my best attempt at the unreliable narrator, I didn't switch POV at all, meaning that we don't know what happened in the moon-pool after Ajax left, we don't know how Wier or Sheppard reacted, as well as a myriad of other, more minor details. As for craziness, calling Chaos 'good' is about as crazy as it gets._

_Now, with that done, Avenging Angels can leave her own comment for you all to read!_

_My pleasure Hideout Writer! So, this was a great change up, the whole no switching POVs and having a first person POV with Ajax as our lead man. I've got to say I had fun betaing this. Ajax, or the evil soul who attempted to take him over, was a very interesting, devious write. He was crafty, sarcastic, and just played dirty. But now that he's back to normal, or so we hope, we'll see what they make of him._

_So R&R people!_

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_


	46. Aftermath

_Well, let's be original and do chapter 46, shall we?_

Aragon watched warily as Ajax slowly uncurled himself off the deck. He held his wand at the ready, just in case Ajax decided to loose more magic or other weaponry against him.

Ajax did not attack, but merely staggered over to a small bench that had been part of a pseudo-park environment before the Alterrans abandoned Atlantis.

Ajax opened his mouth, and very quietly began to sing, or speak, Aragon couldn't tell from the distance between them. He moved closer, and used magic to amplify his hearing.

What he heard was this:

"…use your mind, you will leave the flesh dimensions behind. Sanity can be the toll, leading to the core of your soul. We are the power inside, we bring you fantasy. We are the kingdom of light, and grace. Gnosis and life, Avantasia!" Some measure of power seemed to return to Ajax, and he stood, though he swayed for a few seconds before straightening, hand on his forehead and face scrunched up as if he were in pain.

He walked quietly towards Aragon, who quickly removed the keen ears spell he was using, and held his wand at the ready.

Ajax wearily raised a hand. "No need for that, Aragon, I'm about to head to my quarters to sleep the rest off this off. I just wanted to apologize to you for what happened in the night…" he trailed off, and a ghost of a smile seemed to touch his lips. "I wasn't myself last night."

"Damn straight you weren't." Aragon muttered, lowering his wand though he did not put it away.

Ajax shrugged tiredly. "Like I said, I'm sorry for what that bastard did…despite the fact that I wasn't in control of my body's actions, I still feel responsible." Ajax said, not looking up.

Aragon considered Ajax's words, then quietly reached into his mind, just looking around, not attacking. What he saw was a room, not unlike the bridge of a starship, looking like more than a bomb had gone off.

Hissing pipes, broken and dangling conduits, several lights out while others were winking on and off (just like the cliché) bathing the room in unsteady light. The forms of what Aragon realized must have been the bridge crew were slumped in their various chairs, and Aragon looked towards the captain's chair, where someone or something that looked remarkably like Ajax was wearily sitting. Unlike the Ajax Aragon had seen before, this figure looked…old, possibly late thirties or early forties.

A console exploded, sending it's user flying backwards over the associated seat.

"Chief!" The captain shouted, straightening up. He pressed a button on one of his consoles. "Medical Bay, the engineering console just exploded, the chief is pretty badly burned." He cut the connection, and stood, saying "Report, all stations."

"We've barely got anything left in the engines, sir." the man on the floor said, then coughed. The coughing changed into a wheezing sound that left the man gasping for breath.

"The weapon's arrays are all off-line." another said, turning towards the captain. "We've got nothing left."

"I think we can make it to the nearest starbase." reported a younger man, his voice sounding lower than the others. "But I'm not sure how long she'll hold."

"Structural integrity is holding at sixteen percent, and we don't have any hull breaches." an officer piped in.

"Finally, some good news." the captain replied. Just then, the door opened, and a man in his late twenties came through with an underling. Both of their faces were full of concern.

"Ah, Doctor, how much crew does this ship have left?"

"About three-quarters, but a little more than half of that number is sitting in my medical bay right now." the doctor shook his head, and continued. "I assume the Shite soldiers are all gone?"

"And their thrice-cursed commanding officer." the captain replied vehemently, eyes narrowed. "If I _ever_ see him on my bridge again, he'll be a-."

He was interrupted by the person sitting at tactical. "He will be a grease stain under _my_ shoe, Sir. He insulted me first."

The captain looked surprised, but let it go as the doctor and his underlings helped the chief out of the room.

After they were gone he wearily sat back into his chair, and heaved a sigh. "Ensign, set a course for the Starbase Avalon. Give her as much power as she'll take."

"Aye, sir."

"Captain, there's another ship nearby, maybe they can help?"

"Worth a shot." the captain said. "Hail them."

In the real world, Ajax said "Would you be willing to help me get back to my quarters? I…don't quite think I'll make it under my own power." Ajax took a total of two steps before collapsing, unconscious again.

In his mind, the bridge was brilliantly lit with a massive surge that destroyed three consoles and rendered the ship's engines useless. The room went dark, then two lights came on, flickered for a moment, then one shut off while the other stayed on-line.

"I guess we'll make repairs here?"

Aragon withdrew from Ajax's mind, wondering how he managed to structure his mind like that, even without focusing. Still, he had managed to find out what he wanted to know: whether or not Ajax was himself.

With a sigh, he picked up the young Rider, and began carrying Ajax to his quarters. As Aragon reached the door to go inside, Amaranth arrived, having reverted to her original form.

When Aragon finally set Ajax down on his bed and left, Amaranth landed close to Ajax, and dramatically slumped against him, making sure that she was putting some pressure against her Rider before going to sleep.

In this fashion, Ajax slept for three days, forcing Amaranth to get food on her own while she patiently waited for her Rider to regain consciousness.

Aragon put the Ajax issue aside, and left it for a time when he would be able to speak with Ajax again. In the meantime, he continued his restoration of Doru Areaba.

Where once towers of crumbling and faded granite stood wrapped in their death garmants of ivy, now the towers were whole again, the granite no longer cracked and faded, but gleaming in the sunlight. The gates that hung between them were made of brass, and well polished.

The street, as far as fifty feet into the city, was cleared of ivy, and it's structure restored, but beyond was the grimness of a city left to die of two hundred years abandonment.

Aragon was closing the gate after a long day of working with the towers when he heard a massive crash, and saw a dust cloud arise from a section of the city further in.

Ten minutes later, in the Jumper, he saw what it was that has crashed: the house he remembered being in was crumbling beyond his ability to repair it.

"Damn!" Aragon whispered fiercely. After a few seconds, he wrenched the Jumper around, and set off towards Atlantis.

"What's wrong?" Max asked at last, having heard the quiet expletive.

"That house you saw is…was, were my quarters were. I'll need to clear it out and rebuild." Aragon said quietly, his voice deceptively even.

"Ah." Max responded, sharing a side glance with Fang. "We'll help you clear out the rubble and rebuild if you want."

Aragon just grunted, then indulged in a stream of expletives, several of which Max didn't know, and a few she didn't even want to know.

The Jumper landed without incident, and powered down, but Aragon remained at the controls, a scowl etched into his face.

Max exited the Jumper with Fang, yet Aragon seemed almost frozen.

"Aragon?" Max asked. She tried again, louder this time, getting better results. "Aragon?"

Aragon jerked the second time Max called his name. "Yes." he said, settling. "What do you want?"

"We were about to get something to eat." Max said, hoping to jog Aragon's memory.

"Oh…right." Aragon heaved a sigh and exited the Jumper, his mind still echoing with the battle of so long ago. Shaking his head he followed the two Avians, though his thoughts were still far away….

The meal was eaten in relative silence, with only Nudge talking. Nobody truly listened, as they were each buried in their own thoughts, their minds millions of miles away.

The door chimed, then opened, bringing everyone back to the here and now as Ajax walked in, blinking sleep from his eyes.

"'Morning." he croaked, barely awake.

Aragon had tensed somewhat, still not quite over what had happened during the red moon. A quick peek into Ajax's mind revealed the same room he had seen before, only now it was sparkling clean. All the lights were in working order, the consoles lit and functioning, and the entire bridge crew at their posts, healthy and clean.

"Another ship is scanning us, captain." an ensign reported.

"Not a problem, ensign. Let them scan." the Ajax-captain replied. "Set a course: bearing two-one-eight, mark eight. One third impulse."

Ajax headed towards the buffet cart as Aragon withdrew from his mind.

"How long was I out?" Ajax asked, after loading his plate and returning to the table.

"Three days, give or take." Max replied, twirling her fork as she added, "Carson Beckett was about to put in an IV if you hadn't gotten up."

"Oh." Ajax replied, his voice a mumble. _"That bad."_

"Yeah. So what happened? Aragon didn't say much, neither did Angel."

"Should I break that trend?" Ajax asked lightly, his voice slightly back to normal.

Max glared at him.

"Okay, okay." Ajax said, raising his hands in surrender. "I was at Mako, and saw the red moon. From that point until the sunrise, I was possessed by a daemon. I fought with everything I had, keeping it busy on two fronts. After the first confrontation, I settled briefly, because I knew that it could choose to perform a perverted ceremony in order to maintain control. Then Aragon would have had to throw the daemon out manually. After it figured out how to deal with Aragon's immobility spell, there was a second confrontation, and between Aragon and me, plus the fact that it had not sealed itself and the sun was rising…it did a lot of damage inside, and that's why it took so long to deal with, I'm still not back at a hundred percent. Satisfied?" Ajax returned to his meal, and spent the rest of the meal in silence leaving the others to think about his story as they half chewed their food.

As they were finishing up, Max said "Meet me at my quarters in five minutes. I need to talk with you about something."

Ajax carefully raised an eyebrow (from the corner of his eyes he saw Fang do the same), and just as carefully asked "About what?"

"Something I found at Doru Areaba." Max replied. She walked off before Ajax could ask any more questions.

Ajax looked thoughtful, then went to his quarters. At the indicated time, he walked over to Max's quarters, Amaranth lounging comfortably on his shoulders, eyes alert.

When the door opened, Ajax saw Fang at the door, and Max was seated on the edge of the bed, cradling a rather large stone with tiger stripes on it.

"I assume that's the item you picked up at Doru Areaba?" Ajax queried.

"Yes…I was wondering why I feel such a strange attraction to it, and thought you might know." Max replied, carefully stroking the side of the stone, face almost as tender as when she talked to the Flock.

The stone peeped.

"Congratulations, Max." Ajax said, hearing the peeping sound, a small smile spreading across his face. "You are about to become the newest Dragon Rider."

_Finally! This took forever to write, and not because of the dragon egg, either. Writer's Block is a pain, yes? Anyway, let's do Answers to Readers quick before Avenging Angels closes._

_NinthFeather: Unfortunately, this chapter was harder to write than the last one because of WB. Sadly, that's NOT the Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister!) The demon that possessed Ajax was essentially a mirror copy of Ajax…when the black moon removed all that was evil, it wasn't destroyed, just stored in the red moon for use later as a Convenient Plot Point. I was stretching the limits with the HP stuff, I have not read the books or seen the movies. (It should be called child abuse that I haven't seen HP or Star Wars!)_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I was a bit muddled as I wrote that…warping one's favorite character can be distressing. I'm glad I managed to pull off a good fight scene. I guess I'm better with a one-on-one style duel than I am with massive battles, right? Either way, battles seem to be hit or miss for me. I apologize in advance for the aftermath not being as climactic as the fight._

_And now, a closing, presented by none other than Avenging Angels!_

**Never seen Harry Potter! What!**

**Haha I'm kidding, but seriously, check it out.**

**Anyways as always great chapter and don't forget to review guys. He deserves it!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	47. A Dragon's Politics

Fang's face betrayed no emotion at Ajax's announcement, but Max gasped, her hands moving away from the egg in shock.

"You don't have to be afraid of it, Max." Ajax said soothingly, a slight smile on his face. "A Rider's bond is the second best thing you'll ever experience."

"Only the second best?" Max replied teasingly.

"Well, yeah. Unless I'm completely mistaken, Fang is the first best thing you've experienced." Ajax replied defensively, a slight blush lighting his cheeks while Fang smirked.

The egg peeped again, then began rocking slightly.

"What's happening?" Max asked, looking at the egg. Concern showed on her face, though Ajax couldn't tell if she was worried for herself or the egg.

"The dragon is hatching." Ajax replied with a casual shrug. "It's normal."

Lines began appearing on the stone-like surface of the egg, then widened and expanded like lightning.

"I don't know about all this." Max stated, watching the egg. She looked up but only for a moment. "What if Fang is the one supposed to get it?"

Fang's face very nearly showed surprise at that. He recovered however and went over to reassure her.

"It's a valid question." Ajax said thoughtfully, stroking Amaranth's snout. The green dragon was staring at the egg with wide eyes, her attention completely focused on the quivering shape. "I guess if you two just sit apart from each other, on opposite sides of the bed, you could let the dragon choose. The instincts of a dragon are never wrong." Ajax concluded, shrugging once more. He only said this to reassure Max. She was the one who felt the pull of the egg. He had no doubt the dragon inside was meant to bond with her.

Max and Fang looked at each other, then at the egg, and Fang nodded imperceptibly. Having come to an understanding, they each sat on one side of the bed, eyes on the dragon egg as it rocked and peeped faster, the shell finally bursting open, sending shards of stone in all directions.

The dragon hatchling was sitting in the center of a stone-littered blast radius, licking itself vigorously. It was orange with black stripes, reminding Max of a tiger she once saw in a zoo.

Amaranth launched herself from Ajax's shoulder with a mighty heave, causing her Rider to stagger back slightly, then landed on the chest that sat at the foot of the Ride's bed. She cocked her head, looking at the hatchling, then said _"Ajax, fetch a plate of meat for the new one. I will watch here."_

Ajax scowled, he wanted to see who it would choose, but left to get the meat in question. As soon as the door closed behind Ajax, the dragon seemed to nod in satisfaction, then began unsteadily making it's way to where Max sat.

Max seemed to make herself smaller as the hatchling approached, then forced herself to relax.

_"I believe it has chosen you." _Amaranth said to Max, projecting a mental smirk. _"Go ahead, reach out to it."_

Max lifted a hand as if to reach towards the dragon, then paused, still unsure. _"Good grief!" _Max thought to herself _"All this peace and security has me as timid as a church mouse!" _Emboldened by her self pep-talk, she reached out towards the dragon, which in turn enthusiastically sniffed her hand, then gently head-butted the proffered hand.

_"Was that a dragon I touched, or a live power line?" _Max wondered, recoiling as a shock ran through her body. A soundless scream echoed in the confines of her mind, and Aragon, who was meditating in his quarters, felt the shockwave of power that indicated a Rider's Bond had been formed.

Ajax, returning with the plate of meat, met Aragon outside the Ride's quarters. They entered together just as Max was recovering from the creation of the Rider's Bond.

"What. Just. Happened. To. Her.?" Fang ground out from his position beside the bed. He stood threateningly before Max, his hands curling and uncurling as he glared first at the dragon then at Ajax then back again, as if unsure which one to be mad at.

Each word he'd spoken landed with the weight of lead on the two Rider's ears, and Aragon hesitated briefly from the tone of voice alone.

"She's a Rider now." Ajax said simply, sensing Fang wasn't looking for any elaborate explanation. "It's something of a shock at first."

"The dragon's soul and Max's soul are welded together." Aragon said, continuing the explanation. "She should recover from the shock of that in about a minute."

Just then, Max groaned and sat up. "What happened?" she asked.

"Eh, nothing' much." Ajax replied casually. "I went out to grab a plate of meat, the dragon chose you, you touched it, became a Rider, Aragon and I showed up at your door, came in, and then you woke up."

"You mean I was unconscious?" Max asked, her eyes narrowing, as if she wasn't sure she believed them.

"Okay, calm down." Ajax said defensively. "You're fine, right?"

"I think so…" Max started going through all the checks. A tendril of thought touched her mind, and she backed off from it, then cautiously tried to extend her mind towards the dragon. A ravenous hunger came across the link, and Max withdrew again, satisfied. "I'm fine, but the dragon's hungry, I think."

Ajax passed the plate of meat over to Max, who accepted it, and began carefully feeding the dragon the small cubes of meat.

While Max fed the dragon, Aragon pulled Ajax aside. "Someone needs to teach her." he said.

"You could not be more right." Ajax replied. "You or Eragon? I'm not experienced enough yet." The gleeful look in his eye told volumes.

"She's hard to teach, isn't she?" he asked, resigned.

"Yeah. She blows off anything that seems like a structured curriculum, and doesn't tend to respect figures of authority." Ajax replied. "She blew off the Basic Survival Training officers from what I heard."

"Did she pass?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ajax hissed incredulously. "Of course she passed."

Amaranth jumped off of the chest, landing on her Rider's shoulders again, and Ajax said "I'm gonna fly for a bit, see you guys around."

_Somewhere in the foothills of the Beor Mountains:_

"That's the last of them." Murtagh reported, checking the knots.

He and Eragon had been chasing slavers for the past month, rounding them up and bringing them to the capital for judgment by Nasuada. While Eragon refused to kill them on sight, he did allow Murtagh to tie up the slavers in the same manner that the slavers had tied slaves before marching them into a town to be sold.

"Then let's get going, I'd like to put down some miles before nightfall." Eragon responded. Uneasiness hung between them like a thick fog, each one knowing that something was bound to happen in regards to Eragon's oath. For three hours they rode before stopping and making camp.

Murtagh finally broke the silence. "We both know about the oath you made to the dwarves. What do you plan to do about it?"

"I don't know!" Eragon snapped, eyes on fire. "I refuse to kill you in cold blood, yet you haven't done anything since we met that would give me grounds to attack. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt."

_"You must eventually do something about that oath, little one." _Saphira said, bringing her eye level with Eragon's face.

_"I know, but I really don't want to. He is my half-brother! I can't just kill him."_

_"Little one." _Saphira said comfortingly, her sapphire eye blinking slowly. _"I know that your family ties run deep. Think no more about it now. There will be time later."_

_"True enough." _Eragon sighed, resigned. _"I just wish I didn't have to deal with it at all." _He set a spell that would wake him at the proper time, then rolled into his blankets, quickly slipping into his waking dreams as Saphira looked on.

Over the next two weeks that it took to get back to the capital, tensions between Eragon and Murtagh only deepened.

Saphira had attempted to dispel the tension, but her attempts failed, and she resigned herself to the fact that something must be done as soon as possible. Thorn, Murtagh's dragon, silently agreed.

As soon as the last of the slavers had left the room after hearing his fate, Nasuada said "You two have done well. I had a servant prepare a place for you and your dragons to rest comfortably after your long trip. Eragon?"

Murtagh had left the room at the queen's clear dismissal, and Eragon was right behind him, but her voice stopped him.

"Yes, my lady?" his tone was polite, though it was clear he was tired and looking forward to a comfortable place to sleep.

"Aragon and Ajax arrived here late last night with their 'Jumper'. They said they needed to speak with you about something important, but wouldn't say what. You and Murtagh have a week of leave to do as you wish, then I'll need to have a meeting with you."

Eragon bowed, then left.

The next morning, Eragon found a note tied to a brick inside his room. "Eragon, meet Ajax and myself outside the south gate at noon. Bring Murtagh with you. Aragon."

Intrigued, Eragon showed Murtagh the note, who looked it over with suspicion, then said, "We should look into it. It could be a trap that would enable you to fulfill that oath of yours. All you'd have to do is say 'My lady, Murtagh was killed by an ambush, but I slew them after recovering from my surprise.' It wouldn't be hard at all."

"Would you quit harping on that!" Eragon snapped, clearly annoyed with the subject. "I don't want to talk about it."

"They got the message, right?" Aragon asked, pretending to check a watch he didn't have.

"Yeah." Ajax replied. "I tied it to a brick, then chucked it into Eragon's room."

"Well," Aragon said, amused. "I suppose that _is_ a valid way to deliver it."

"I thought so too. Hey, look, here they come." Ajax pointed.

"Already airborne." Aragon noted. "All the better. Let's get going, you're flying the Jumper."

Ajax entered the Jumper and took off, Aragon and Thelduin already winding through the sky.

After three days of flying at the speed of dragon, the Riders reached Farthen Dur, where Ajax adeptly placed the Jumper in the center of the caldera, very close to where Eragon had fought with Durza some three years before.

Saphira followed directly behind the Jumper closely tracked by Thorn, with Thelduin bringing up the rear.

Shortly after the Jumper had landed, Orik entered the massive room with his retinue, and looked up to see Saphira descending to the floor followed by the ruby red dragon. As the others in the room caught sight of Thorn, the murmuring turned nasty, and Orik began putting the pieces together. Eragon had arrived to take his revenge

"Mine people!" he bellowed over the muted roar of the mutterings. "Eragon has arrived to take his vengeance on Murtagh!"

There was dead silence for several seconds, and if anyone had listened hard enough, they would have heard someone swearing. The dragons landed, and the Riders dismounted before the dragons took to the air, winding together in a blaze of wings and scales.

"Where are they going?" Orik asked of Eragon.

"You were right. I am here to fulfill my oath, but I know that if the dragons remain here, they would cause grievous damage as Thorn attempts to destroy me in retribution for destroying his Rider."

Orik nodded in understanding as Eragon drew his sword.

"Today I fill my oath to the dwarven people!" Eragon shouted. He took two steps towards Murtagh who stood still, his head raised, eyes blank, and slashed Murtagh's head off. The dwarves cheered as Eragon cleaned off his blade with a cloth tossed to him by Aragon.

Aragon shot a meaningful look at Eragon, speaking telepathically at the same time. _"I told you not to decapitate him." _He said. Then, with a clap of his hands, he strode forward and slung Murtagh's headless corpse over his shoulder and then retrieved his head.

''What are you doing?'' asked Orik suspiciously as Aragon headed for the Jumper.

"I'm going to give him a decent burial; traitor or not, he had the worst run of luck I've ever seen or heard of, and both the previous holders of those are pretty hard to beat." Aragon said brightly.

"Why do you want his head then?" Pressed Orik.

Aragon glanced briefly at the severed head, then back at Orik. "I rather thought I'd strip the flesh then take it to a Forge World and rework it as a servo-skull; I've always wanted one of them, and seeing as I can't have Morzan's head for it…." Aragon shrugged. "I guess his son's head will have to do."

With that parting comment and a short bow, Aragon entered the Jumper before sealing it.

Ajax engaged the engines, and over the whine of the equipment, he almost thought he could hear an incantation being delivered.

_Answers to Readers:_

_Ninthfeather: More on the bridge in later chapters, stay tuned!_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: D-n, I fell prey to a cliché! As far as where those two got off to, now you know, the bridge in Ajax's head will be discussed further in later chapters, and the Rider teach Max will be…_

_Avenging Angels has the closing!_

**Sweet Max is a Rider! Can't wait to read more about that. Anyways, review!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	48. A Quiet Day

Thorn stopped thrashing, and Saphira cautiously eased herself off of him. _"You're not about to try anything, are you?" _Saphira asked.

"What happened to my Rider?" Thorn snarled after a few moments of harsh breathing as he glared at the sapphire dragon.

It was Thelduin who replied to that question. _"My Soul-Friend knows stronger magics than the people of this land know of. Jade is one such magic, and I believe that my partner has brought you back to life with it."_

In the Jumper, Ajax opened the bulkhead doors saying "Coming up on a red mountain, a blue mountain, and a grey-."

"Don't. Say. It." Aragon said firmly, eyes narrowed. "Don't even think it."

"Okay, okay." Ajax said, waving his arms defensively. "You don't have to be so uptight about it."

The Jumper quietly descended, and Aragon opened the rear door.

"Aragon, does he need additional help? He's not looking so good."

"Well of course he doesn't look so good!" Aragon snapped, leaning over his patient and not bother to look at Ajax. "He just had his head lopped off by his half-brother!"

"Sorry!" Ajax retorted, sarcasm evident in his voice. "I didn't realize you were stressed out by all this." Aragon just growled, and walked away, leaving Murtagh barely hanging onto consciousness. Ajax was examining Murtagh when he noticed the torc, and did a double-take. The torc around Murtagh's neck had been fashioned from wrought iron, but now it was tarnished silver.

"Um, Murtagh?" Ajax ventured.

"Hmmmmmmmmm." Murtagh groaned, voice slurred as if drunk, his eyes closed.

Ajax, curious about the torc, gave Murtagh some energy so that he wouldn't be teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. "Murtagh, your torc is silver. Did you notice a change at all?"

"No…wait, did you say…silver?" Murtagh reached for the torc, feeling the metal strands. Despite the tarnish, it was obviously silver, not the slightly rusted wrought iron that it had been before. "How…?"

Ajax shrugged. "Beats me, unless Eragon fulfilling his oath removed some of the dishonor you carry from your time under the black king's rule."

"It's a good an explanation as any." Murtagh agreed, shrugging before wincing at the pain.

Ajax nodded sharply towards Thorn who was still snarling at Saphira as she held him at bay. "You should go see Thorn, he's pretty shaken up, possibly even more than you are."

Murtagh nodded mutely, and exited the Jumper, leaving Ajax to ponder what had a sigh, Ajax closed the door, then took off, headed towards the city of Ilirea. The Riders would be rendezvousing there for their meeting about what should be done with the latest addition to the order.

Nothing was said during the flight, as Ajax was lost deep within the labyrinth of his own thoughts, though Amaranth tried lifting his spirits with her antics before giving up and laying down on a bench with a disgusted grunt.

"_Who will teach the new one?" _Thelduin asked. They were casually looping through the air together, enjoying each other's company when the thought had come to mind. _"I'll pass it off to Eragon if I can." _Aragon replied. _"I've been around long enough to recognize the look Ajax had in his eye."_

"_What did it tell you?"_

"_To avoid teaching her if I can. He seemed positively joyous when he realized that he wouldn't be teaching her."_ Aragon said_. "On the other hand, there are skills I have that Eragon would not have…maybe I'll end up teaching her part time." _

"_Hopefully her dragon will be able to help straighten her out. If not, I might find myself knocking some sense into her."_

"_I think she could hold her own in a fight if she so chose." _Aragon replied, and Thelduin looked back at in in surprise. Aragon nodded, lost in thought as he continued. _"Did you see her in action on the Burning Plains? I think if I were any more…"_ here Aragon trailed off, trying to find a word that was similar in meaning to _proud_. He was unsuccessful. _"If I were any more proud of how she handled herself, she could just about be my daughter."_

Thelduin raised a mental eyebrow. _"Impressed by her combat prowess, are we?" _Aragon didn't bother defending his statement, preferring to lapse back into the churning sea of his own thoughts.

Shortly after landing the Jumper, Ajax pulled several key crystals from the banks to prevent Amaranth from pulling any stunts, then hung his hammock in the rear, turned on the Dragonforce play list to full blast, and went to sleep, strange visions pursing him through his dreams. Amaranth, disgusted by the volume, closed the bulkhead doors, and curled up on a chair to sleep. It was thus that Nasuada found them when she came to investigate the reason behind J7's arrival in her courtyard.

Ajax and Aragon were off-city, Max had been flying with her dragon, still unsure about a name for it. Every name that she came up with, it seemed to quietly reject. It had gotten to the point where a very frustrated Max was busy pointedly ignoring the hatchling when they returned to her room. That didn't last long, as Max felt a rather strong sensation of pain reverberate across the link from the dragon.

The dragon had jumped off of the dresser, and glided a good five feet before colliding with an indented corner. It squeaked piteously, and Max sighed before scooping it up off the ground.

"Come'ere, you." she said, holding it close. "You're not ready to fly yet."The dragon squeaked again, though this time it seemed like it was more of a protest, rather than calling for it's bondmate. Max smiled softly and whispered, "Trust me, I know what it's like to want to fly. You'll get there someday, soon, but for now you've just gotta stay put. When the time comes, we'll do it together."

The dragon spread it's tiny wings and wagged it's tail. Max shook her head and set it down on the bed. "There you go." she stroked it's scales before it quickly explored the bed and decided there was nothing worth finding, and slid down the coverlet with a surprised squeak.

Savra had been playing on the floor when the hatchling arrived, and she cooed happily when she saw it. Her flame summoning abilities had improved considerably since her arrival, and when the door opened, it was common enough to see Savra hanging back from the door, hands wreathed in a spectral yellow fire.

Max had been trying to teach Savra to not do that when visitors came, but wasn't having much luck. The fire would quickly fade if it was a member of the Flock, though when others stopped by to visit, the fire wouldn't always fade all the way. She seemed to be the most suspicious of the medical staff, and Beckett despaired of ever seeing her on friendly terms.

The hatchling wriggled away from Savra's grasp, squeaking it's indignation at being so roughly handled, and managed to jump up onto the bed, laying down next to Max with it's nose buried into the covers.

Sometime during his training, Ajax had taken the liberty to transcribe all the scrolls that Oromis had had in his personal library before his death. Due to his efforts, Max was able to read in plain text on a tablet computer what had been written in flowing calligraphy on paper scrolls.

Shortly before the other Riders had left for the mainland, Ajax had quietly recommended that she spend her free time reading in the Rider's library that had been digitized.

Due to the fact that the history of the Riders had been documented as if it were a story, Max found it to be the most interesting, though even the more bland subjects didn't slow her down.

Max had been quietly studying the elven manuscripts when the door chimed and opened, admitting Fang.

"Hey, tooth. Whatcha been up to?" Max asked innocently, sly smile on her lips.

"Beating Sheppard's team," Fang replied, arranging himself on the bed next to her with the dragon in between. It stirred, but didn't look up. "is not as easy as it looks."

"Oh?" Max replaced the tablet on the charger, and turned towards Fang. "What were you doing?"

"Me versus Ronon in some sort of Setedan game, in which I barely made it out alive, and a game of chess against McKay." Fang said. His voice betrayed some sarcasm about barely making it out alive, but was otherwise as flat as ever.

"You won both contests, right?" Max asked.

Fang rolled his eyes in the universal expression of 'duh!' and Max grinned. "How's that dragon of yours?" Fang asked in response.

Max's grin faltered slightly. "I took it out flying earlier. Bad move on my part, I think." Max replied.

"Oh? Why's that?" Fang asked, leaning in closer.

"Because I don't know how, or even if I can, regulate the link between us." Max replied. "It jumped off the dresser in an attempt to fly, and collided with the corner there." Max jerked a thumb at the corner in question. "The pain from those impacts come through the link, loud and clear."

Just then, the dragon, sensing that it was being talked about, sprung up from the covers in between Max and Fang, startling them both. Fang turned to glare at it for interrupting the conversation, but it used the Bambi eyes on him, and he reached back to the dragon, scratching it behind it's ears.

As it hummed, Fang turned back to Max. "Have a name for it yet?"

"No," Max sighed. "I don't. It seems to reject everything that I suggest."

"How about Tiger?"

"I don't know…" Max said. "Lemme check."

_"Should I call you Tigrus?" _Max thought, changing the name slightly. She tried to push the thought towards the hatchling, but wasn't sure if telepathy was as easy as was a mental nod, and the humming grew stronger, increasing in pitch and volume.

_Tigrus…Okay, that took far too long. Aside from all that, any suggestions?_

_Answers to Readers:_

_NinthFeather: You get the feeling that his death won't last longer than a chapter because Ajax thought he heard a spell being delivered as he took off in the last chapter._

_Master of the Blood Wolves: …this chapter mindraped me. That's all I can say on that._

_And now to the (somehow) extremely patient Avenging Angels for the closing!_

**No criticism from me! Great chapter, fun and on going. **

**Sincerely,Avenging Angels**


	49. Superthreat

_A/N: Well, I saw the end to this story in a dream. I'm sorry to those of you who wanted me to go on for another 50 chapters, but it's time._

"You're late." Nasuada snapped, dark eyes narrowed as she glared at the Rider. "Despite my explicit instructions, you showed up late. You'd better have a good reason for being a day and a half late."

"Bad headwinds." Eragon began lamely. He was about to continue his explanation when Saphira blocked him, and chose to answer the irate queen. "_I apologize, O mistress of the winds, but we ran into a headwind that slowed me to such a degree that I was unable to deliver my Rider on time."_ Saphira said, gaze sharp as knives as she looked down on the queen. The sarcasm in her voice made Nasuada flinch as though she had been struck.

"And why were you so far away?" she asked quietly, not bothering to act defensive. There was no point, Saphira outmatched her in every way. Besides there were more important things to attend to. "Do not lie to me." she added as an afterthought.

"I fulfilled an oath I made to the dwarves." Eragon said, irritated with the queen and his dragon. "I killed Murtagh as I had promised Orik."

Nasuada's anger vanished instantly and her eyes widened. "Oh. That was what I had wanted to talk to you about. Well, where was he buried?"

"I didn't bury him, neither did the dwarves." Eragon replied. "Aragon brought him back with some sort of magic, and then we flew back here."

"So…he's still alive?" Nasuada confirmed, her face devoid of emotion.

"Yes." Eragon said.

"I see." In reality, Nasuada didn't see nearly as much as she let on, but the topic was beginning to hurt her head. After several moments of silence, she looked up at Eragon. "I'm sending you and Saphira to Dras-Leona with Murtagh, to put down an insurrection. It's chaos there, so I've asked a contingent of elves to assist you. I don't know what to tell you to expect, all the runner knew what that the priests are behind this."

At the mention of the priests, Eragon's mind returned to the night before the raid on the Raz'ac lair, and the foul ceremonies that occurred at the base of Helgrind.

"I understand…" Eragon said, troubled, and sensing this, Saphira twitched her tail in anticipation. "Will that be all, My Lady?"

"There is one more thing. Tell Aragon to report here in half an hour." Nasuada said, having regained control. "Dismissed."

"Yes, My Lady." Eragon bowed, and left the room.

Saphira swung her head around such that her head was directly in front of Nasuada. _"Do not presume to order Riders not oath-bound to you. Aragon and his partner are not bound to you, and neither am I. Eragon could not, and has not, sworn me to you. I expect you to remember and respect that."_ With a low growl to make sure Nasuada got the point, Saphira turned and walked out of the open ended throne room, talons clacking on the marble floor.

Nasuada was busily going over reports when there was a loud crack, and Aragon appeared with Eragon and Saphira in tow. The grey, snake-like dragon didn't seem to be with them, until she suddenly showed herself as she leisurely wrapped herself around Aragon's arm. "You rang?" Aragon asked, studying a struggled to maintain her appearance of calm at the innocent question.

"Yes." she managed to grind out. "I would like for you to teach the magicians in my court how to use the magic you used to bring Murtagh back to life."

"No." Aragon said bluntly, not bothering to look at the Queen.

"Excuse me?" Nasuada asked, deceptively quiet.

"I said no." Aragon said. "Have you ever seen a spell caster screw up a spell revolving around the Vanyali Arvindr?"

"No, but it can't be that bad." Nasuada countered, oblivious.

"It can be that bad." Aragon stated, finally looking up, eyes full of scorn. "And very few of the magicians I've encountered here would have the talent needed to channel the winds of magic, and they'd have to study for a rather long time before they'd be of any use to you."

"So you are refusing me?" Nasuada asked.

There was a brief pause in the air before Aragon spoke again.

"Frankly, yes." he stated. "Simply because there are too few mages available and because I don't trust them to seek out the more dangerous spells. No, I will not share this branch of arcane lore."

Silence reigned supreme for several moments while Nasuada tried to figure out what to do with a rebellious Dragon Rider. Aragon was so calm about his refusal, so sure of himself that Nasuada felt she had to regain control of the situation. "Go to Dras-Leona." she said through gritted teeth. "The priests of Helgrind have caused an uprising, and I want it stopped, now. GO!"

Aragon raised an eyebrow, then apparated away to Dras-Leona. Eragon and Saphira were still there, watching Nasuada quietly. She sagged in her chair, resigned. "Go to Atlantis." she said quietly. "And inform the Lady Wier that I wish to meet with her again. You leave in the morning."

"Yes, my Lady." Eragon said, bowing.

Saphira wisely did not comment on Nasuada's current attitude, padding away from Nasuada's throne in silence.

The next morning, shortly after sunrise, the city felt the thunder of a dragon departing the city, and Nasuada was in front of a mirror, talking with one of the elves in Dras-Leona.

Aragon had taken a rather creative approach to dealing with the priests of Helgrind issue, seemingly erasing the citadel, the priests, and everything else associated with them from the city, as well as from the minds of the inhabitants.

Aragon had not reported back to Nasuada when he was done, leaving it up to her to find him again.

_Atlantis:_

"So…Todd's got a Hive hooked up to one or more ZPMs, and now, they've received the coordinates for Earth? Am I understanding you correctly?" Woolsey asked.

"Pretty much." Sheppard said. "We have to stop them, and I think I know how…" Without finishing his thought, he turned and ran down the corridors to find out if Todd had any spare Zero Point Modules.

"So why'd you help us before, but now you're being difficult?" Ajax demanded. "Because from where I sit, it doesn't look like you really want us to go through with this!"

"It would be a shame to see this city destroyed." Todd mused. "It's always a pleasure, enjoying the hospitality of Atlantis. Breaks up the tedium of my day-to-day life."

"Cut the crap Todd." Sheppard ordered, striding into the room. "Do you have any ZPMs left over from your experiments?"

"More unnecessary details!" Todd exclaimed. "What does it matter?"

"Because we need more than we have," Sheppard explained, growing impatient.

"I see…and why do you think I would give them to you?" Todd queried

Ajax choked down a smart remark, leaving Sheppard to handle Todd.

"Because you need us to deal with this problem, and if for no other reason than to spite the underling who betrayed you." Sheppard said.

"Ah, you have learned how to talk to a Wraith!" Todd exclaimed, obviously pleased.

Four hours later, a squad gated back to Atlantis carrying two Zero Point Modules.

"Excellent work," Woolsey said, eyeing them. "Take them down to Zelenka immediately."

"Todd actually came through," Sheppard said in wonderment. A moment later, a thought occurred to him. "…Or it could be a trap."

"Have them brought to McKay." Richard said to the squad carrying the cases.

"Right away, sir." one of them said, before walking out.

"Now what?"

"Now, we take Atlantis home to Earth." Sheppard said casually.

"Actually, you won't be flying Atlantis." Woolsey said. "General O'Neill wants you in the chair back on Earth. You have one hour to pack your bags and gate home."

Sheppard looked stunned for a moment, then shrugged it off. "Okay…" his tone of voice suggested that he wasn't terribly sure of this idea, but knew when to obey orders.

"Good man." Woolsey said. He turned to go up the stairs to his office but turned back. "Oh, and good luck."

In the power room, Rodney was busily fitting the final connections for the extra two ZPMs that would be used, bringing the full complement up to five from the original three. Angel was overseeing the project, chattering on about energy tolerances while McKay worked, occasionally going so far as to push him out of the way and do it herself.

"This connection goes _here_, not over _there_," Angel snarked, "or are you trying to blow the entire city to kingdom come?"

"Sorry!" Rodney shot back, frustrated. "I'm trying to get the city - you - to a point where we can take on the Wraith Hive ship that managed to plug in one or more of these vaunted ZedPMs!"

"Oh, so it's all about me now, is it?" Angel demanded, fluttering her pure white wings and creating a small updraft.

"No, it's all about you being able to save the collective ass of everyone on Earth!" Rodney returned, not bothering to look at her as he returned to his work.

"Oh, so not only is it all about me, but it's all about what I can do for you!" Angel said heatedly, she was now hovering in the space above him, her wings stroking up and down rhythmically.

Rodney's hands froze and he turned to look at Angel, face his serious. "Yes as a matter of fact, it is." He jammed the final connection into place, and the two additional ZPMs engaged with the system.

Lights all over the city brightened, and Angel shivered for a moment.

"…wow." she managed to say.

Rodney looked up from his computer, and saw a changed Angel standing before the ZPM pedestal. Her skin glowed, and her hair sparked with energy at the very tips, and her innocent blue eyes radiated a power McKay hadn't seen before.

Everyone on Atlantis felt the change, though most didn't think much of it.

After several seconds, Angel turned, and left the room, heading for the Chair.

_So, that's one more chapter done. Uh, tell me what you think, and remember, the end truly is near for this story! I estimate another two or three before I'm done, but here's your fair warning, this is the beginning of the end. And now for Answers to Readers!_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: The Raz'ac storyline…okay, I've got it. I'm about to screw up Wraith physiology. Go look up pics of various Wraith, and tell me what exactly I intend to screw up._

_NinthFeather: Unfortunately, I have nowhere to really go with the Tigrus line. I…may do a sequel, but don't hold your breath for anything._

_Forsaken By All: Barista, I'll take a tall one of whatever he's having? Aside from all that, there's not much I can say…_

_And now to Avenging Angels for some witty commentary and/or the closing!_

**Witty commentary, huh? That I can do! Alright people, give the guy some reviews! Hideout Writer works hard to get these chapters out to you so he deserves some feedback. Like he's said there are only a few chapters left so we've got to make the best of them!Sincerely,Avenging Angels**


	50. Leaving Pegasus

When Max felt the surge in Atlantis, the first thing that came to mind was the fact that Angel was linked into Atlantis, and wondered if she was alright. Tigrus and Fang were right behind her as she ran towards the Chair, figuring that would be where Angel was.

While Max was hurriedly dashing though the halls, Angel calmly lined up a path for Max, closing doors that would take her the wrong way. _Max, calm down. _she thought soothingly, reaching out with her 'mental voice' so that Max was able to hear her. Max was so used to Angel's constant coming and goings in her mind that she didn't even falter as she continued towards her. _It's all right, I'm fine. McKay and I plugged in another two ZPMs, and I got a portion of that through the link. Seriously, I'm fine, calm down._

Max's headlong rush slowed to a quick trot, and at one junction, she stopped long enough to pick up Tigrus before continuing to the Chair with Fang keeping stride on her right.

When Max and Fang arrived, they found McKay and Angel already there. McKay was fiddling with some equipment, making sure everything checked out, and Angel was laying in the Chair, already reclined. She sat up as the door closed behind Fang.

"Told you I was alright." Angel said, standing up and smiling.

It took Max several moments to formulate a reply, she was used to Angel's nonchalantness, but now that she was with Atlantis all the time, it seemed her attitude grew more every day.

"Yes you did, sweetie." Max said at last. "And I still wanted to make sure, regardless of what you were telling me. I'm just concerned is all."

While the black striped hatchling investigated McKay, Max pulled Angel into a bear hug. "Try not to scare me like that again, okay?" she whispered, her voice too low for any others to hear.

"Okay." Angel whispered back just as softly.

After Max released her, she sat back down in the Chair. "We have information about a Superhive, powered by at least one ZPM. If we let it finish what it's doing, it will be unstoppable by conventional methods. Seeing as how it's a threat we can't tolerate, we're going after them. They've got a headstart on us to Earth though, so I hope Sheppard is able to use the Drone Chair on Earth to deal with them until we arrive."

At this point, the Chair was reclined, and almost lazily spinning clockwise, displays lighting up and fading away in a chaotic dance above Angel's head as Max and Fang looked on, shaking their heads.

Nasuada was going over the latest trade reports when there was a muffled popping sound, and Aragon was standing in the throne room with Thelduin draped over his shoulders.

"I heard a rumor that you might be looking for me." he said casually.

Nasuada was about to reply when a servant knocked three times on the door before rolling in a large mirror.

"Eragon for you, my lady." the man said with a bow, then left.

"Eragon, what do you have to report?" Nasuada asked, raising her finger at Aragon who patiently clasped his hands before him. Thelduin's tongue flicked out but otherwise she made no move.

"The Lady Wier is at a place called Earth." Eragon replied nodding his head as he spoke. He looked up, "Lord Richard Woolsey is here, but they're moving the city as we speak."

Nasuada could see the fact that things were gently shaking in the background. "Why are they moving?" she asked.

"Lord Woolsey said something about a Wraith Superhive, powered by something called a Zero Point Module?" Eragon asked, unfamiliar with the terminology and stumbling to get the words out.

Aragon had a thoughtful expression on his face, and with a sharp crack, was gone.

"Apparently, it's rather dangerous, and is threatening Earth." Eragon continued. "Lord Woolsey said it's a threat they cannot tolerate, and won't."

"I understand." Nasuada said, remembering not too long ago when her home had been invaded.

She straightened in her seat and said, "In that case, please return to the castle."

"I can't." Eragon replied, his voice even.

"You cannot or you will not?" Nasuada asked, eyes narrowed.

"I cannot." Eragon replied. "They've put up a shield, and I can't get through it. Saphira can't either, and after two tries, refused to try again."

In the background through an open window the sapphire dragon's tail twitched in annoyance as she waited for her Rider. Nasuada counted to ten, breathing deeply. "Very well." she said at last. "Eragon Shadeslayer, I free you of your oath to me." She made a motion to the servant, who promptly rolled the mirror back out of the room, though not before she saw the surprise on Eragon's face.

On Atlantis, Eragon cut the connection to the other mirror, irritated that she would just rudely have the mirror removed like that, but choosing not to dwell on it as he realized his freedom. He was perplexed at why she would terminate it so suddenly. But as he was thinking about it Saphira called for him.

_Eragon, get out here this minute, before I start breaking things. I want you to see this. _she said, her mental voice booming through his head.

_I was conversing with Nasuada. _Eragon protested. _I'll be right out._

Because of the location of his quarters, Eragon was right next to a door leading to the outside, enabling him to be with Saphira within several seconds. Though her tone had suggested that she was joking, Eragon didn't want to find out otherwise by her breaking things, much less things he knew very little about.

Lady Wier had been very easygoing about Saphira, and seemed to understand that the dragons was as intelligent as any other person in the city. Lord Woolsey was not possessing of that same understanding, and had intimated to Eragon that if Saphira started causing trouble, she and Eragon would not be welcomed back; in essence, he saw Saphira as Eragon's responsibility, a mere animal to be kept in check at all times. Eragon had been sure that Saphira did not over hear his conversation with the lord. Or else she might have not let it go without flaming the matter, so to speak.

Eragon shook his head as he joined her outside, they would deal with that later.

_"Look up." _Saphira said, and the awe in her voice compelled Eragon to see what Saphira had found to be so amazing.

Atlantis was moving upwards, rising on a pillar of smoke and flame, and they were already in the upper atmosphere.

"Whoa." Eragon breathed, his eyes widening.

The city moved still faster as it met with less gravitational force and less atmospheric resistance. The sky darkened swiftly to black around the city, and just as the city achieved standard orbit, the hyperdrive was engaged, and Atlantis shot into hyperspace, once again causing awe in the Rider and dragon pair.

After a while, Eragon went back inside to rest, and Saphira settled her bulk on the deck plates in a marginally less uncomfortable position to do the same.

At thirteen hundred hours Atlantis time, Woolsey summoned Ronan, Teyla, Eragon, Aragon, Ajax and Max to the administrator's office.

"You wished to see us?" Teyla asked politely. Max glanced at her from her spot next to Ajax. He imagined her rolling her eyes.

"Ah, yes, do come in." Woolsey responded, putting aside the computer he'd been staring at intently. "I've been told that Atlantis is soon to pass out of the Pegasus galaxy, and I wanted to offer this one last chance for you to leave the city, if you wish. I understand that this isn't your fight, and that I can't expect you to risk your lives in a fight that isn't your own."

"You mean like the members of this installation have been doing for the past five years?" Ronan rumbled quietly. "I'm staying."

"As am I." Teyla stated.

"Atlantis is my home," Ajax stated. "and I have no intention of leaving it unless she is destroyed, or I am evicted from her halls."

"Eragon?" Woolsey asked.

"Saphira can't fit through the Stargate." Eragon said simply. "Also, Lady Nasuada freed me of my oath as Atlantis was leaving the sea."

"Very well. Max?" Woolsey asked, turning to the blonde haired girl. Max smirked and rolled her shoulders. "The Flock has never backed down from a fight, and neither have I. Besides," and she looked around at everyone. "With Angel now synched up to Atlantis I don't see her leaving any time soon. As long as she stays, we stay." Max crossed her arms over her chest and glared around the room, daring anyone to argue her logic. No one did.

"Aragon, what about you?" Woolsey asked after a moment of silence had passed.

"To be honest, kicking aliens very hard in the face is something of a second job for us. So long as we can get back to Ellesméra, we're in." Aragon replied.

"After we get to Earth, it will take a great deal of power to dial Ellesméra." Woolsey explained. "When the expedition first came to Atlantis, I was told we burnt out the ZPM. More than likely, we won't have the power to dial Ellesméra. Additionally, the 'gate on the other end will probably try to power the connection, which may kill the forest. I understand killing the forest isn't an option you would be interested in?"

"No, that would not be a good option." Aragon replied steadily.

"The _Phoenix_." Ajax stated, pushing off from the wall he'd been casually leaning against. "She's got the power to get from Earth to Ellesméra in three or four days, two, if burnt hyperdrive sounds like a good entrée."

"That's better than the other option." Aragon agreed, nodding his thanks to the other Rider.

"Right, so the long story short is that we're with you all the way." Ajax said. "Let's do this."

Woolsey nodded. "Dismissed."

They had gotten about halfway through the great expanse of nothing that lay between the Pegasus galaxy and the Milky Way when Angel, who was in the briefing room with Woolsey, Radek, and several others, doubled over in pain for several seconds before the entire city shook as Atlantis dropped out of hyperspace.

"I…apologize." Angel said, her breath coming in short gasps. "The drives haven't been exercised so strenuously for…ten thousand years. I am afraid they were insufficient for the task given."

"Is there anything else we can use to get to Earth as quickly as possible?" Woolsey asked.

"Wormhole drive." Radek said. "Highly experimental, but if it works, we could arrive at Earth in a matter of seconds."

"Get on it." Woolsey said.

Radek nodded sharply in acceptance, and left the room.

"Are you alright?" Woolsey asked, turning to the young girl.

"Yes, the pain was brief, and there was no lasting damage." Angel replied, having already straightened up. "But Radek was right, the wormhole drive is highly experimental. In this case, that means quite deadly if we get the calculations wrong."

"I understand, but Earth needs us, now." Woolsey replied, his face hard. Then it softened. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

Angel nodded, thinking, then turned and dashed out of the room.

Ronon and Fang had developed a friendship of sorts after their first mission together, and when nobody else was willing to spar against the Setedan, Fang was more than capable. They had both felt the city drop out of hyperspace, and Fang had known that it wasn't normal, but they continued with the match, both knowing there wasn't anything that could be done about it.

A group of Marines had been watching, betting on who would win the match, some betting for Ronon, others for Fang.

"Mind if I give it a try?" Aragon asked.

Fang shrugged with one shoulder, then promptly put Ronon on the ground, locking him there.

"Your call." he said, walking out with his towel.

Ronon stood up, and toweled his hands quickly before taking up a defensive stance. Aragon narrowed his eyes, waiting to see what the Setedan warrior would do. To the untrained eye, it would seem that Aragon was just standing in the middle of the room, not waiting for Ronon to make a move.

Eventually, Ronon twitched and attacked. His rod would have hit Aragon in the head had Aragon not moved his staff to deflect it. Ronon's other hand moved in an entirely too predictable course, and Aragon casually reversed the slight spin of his staff, and accelerated it to meet with Ronon's second rod.

Ronon staggered back, off-balance. He had never fought beside Aragon in the field of combat, and thus had no knowledge of Aragon's fighting style. Not one to back away from a fight, Ronon twisted around Aragon's staff, moving to the other side of the room as he re-balanced himself. His next move was to cast aside his weapons.

Aragon raised an eyebrow. "You'd be dead now if we were in a real battle." he noted.

"Yeah, but I would have already shot you." Ronon answered defiantly.

"True." Aragon said, amused. He walked towards a rack that had several other sparring staffs, and propped his with the others.

Upon completely disarming, Aragon returned to the center of the room. "Let's dance."

Ronon had heard this line many times before, from Sheppard. This time though, he had a good comeback.

"Hmm," he said, pretending to think. "Do lets!"

The others in the room laughed at the joke as Ronon lunged low towards Aragon. He had been expecting to tackle Aragon, but instead found himself flat on his back, sliding from the force of his momentum.

Whatever Aragon had done, it was rather swift; nobody else in the room had quite been able to figure out what he had done, just that he had managed to dodge Ronon and flip him in less than a second.

The door opened as Ronon picked himself up, and Ajax shoved through the crowd.

"Aragon?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Aragon said, not really paying attention.

"Woolsey said we can't brigade this emptiness in time. You wouldn't happen to have any tricks on that front, would you?"

A ghost of a smile touched Aragon's face at the Dragonforce reference. "Not for the city, no."

"Didn't think so. Either way, we're about to dial Earth, to warn them that we could end up a bit late."

"So?" Ronon asked, standing up and dusting off his pants before snatching a towel out of thin air that Fang had just tossed him.

"So," Ajax said, exaggerating patience, "if something can go wrong, it will."

It took Ronon and Aragon a moment before they realized what he was hinting at, and bowed to each other before grabbing their equipment.

The Flock, Riders, and the mermaids were waiting in the conference room, casually talking while Radek was re-calibrating the gate so they could dial Earth.

The doors opened several seconds after the gate connection stabilized.

"…standard Wraith procedure, stop their prey from dialing out. They couldn't dial Earth in this case, so they brought their own gate with them. And, because it's a Pegasus model, and thus, newer than the Milky Way gates, it supersedes the one in the SGC." McKay said.

"So you're telling me that gate goes straight to the Hive ship?" Woolsey asked.

"Yes, I am, which you would have figured out, had you understood what I was saying just a moment before!" McKay shot back. "Let's get the team together, we could probably deal with the Hive from the inside, maybe overload the ZedPM and destroy the Hive from within."

"I'm in." Ajax said, walking out of the conference room.

"Me too." Aragon said. "It's why I came along." The grey, snake-like dragon that was coiled on his arm seemed to nod in agreement.

"We're in." Max said, grinning. "Saving the world seems to be our job." The other members of the Flock nodded in agreement.

"We've got an insane amount of power." Cleo said. "And I think that we should use it to our advantage." The other mermaids nodded in agreement.

Woolsey thought it over for several moments. "Very well." he said. "But let the record reflect that I didn't ask, you volunteered."

The group nodded, though Aragon's face tightened up slightly.

Ajax noticed this, and leaned towards Aragon. "Easy, Aragon. He's not used to the way things work on Atlantis, and doesn't want us to come back maimed or whatever, and then blame him for it. He's just trying to cover his ass."

Aragon nodded slightly. "I get that." he returned quietly. "But I don't like politicians in general, they don't seem to be the most adept at making good decisions."

"Granted." Ajax said. "Still, he's better than most. He's loosened up slightly since coming here, but is still very strict about the rules. Even wanted Teyla and Ronon making mission reports. That stopped after Ronon did one report on a tape recorder. 'We went in, killed a bunch of Wraith, got Sheppard and left again.' He's not one to waste words."

_Where is the Van Helsing reference in this chapter? If you can find it, you've got good eyes._

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: I threw in a little more action here, as well as a couple references to some other things. I will see about the strange witch and her odd cat, but no promises._

_Forsaken by All: I abhor the Fade…some stories should never have been spawned (Anything Twilight/IC for instance) and other stories should have been actually finished rather than dropped. May unconquerable peace live in your heart!_

_And now for the tongue-lashing that I deserve from Avenging Angels for taking so long!_

_Ha, no tongue lashing from me I've been super busy too! But I totally got the Van Helsing reference in fact I paused after I read it and imagined that entire scene in my head! "I vant first bite!" another favorite quote of mine. Anyways great chapter as always. Review people, he deserves it!_

_Sincerely,_

_Avenging Angels_


	51. Enemy At The Gate Part 1

Ajax stopped talking as the unstable wormhole vortex flung itself out of the Stargate before just as quickly snapping back to present as a gently rippling wormhole entrance.

"That's our cue." Max said, leaping the last few steps as the Flock ran up behind her and Tigris gripped her shoulders as he struggled to stay upright.

"Wait a moment." Lorne said, entering the room. "They'll have guards at the gate. What do you say I clean 'em up for you?"

"Be my guest." Max said, standing back from the gate slightly and waving her arm forward.

Lorne grinned, then pulled the pins on three grenades and tossed them through the gate. There was a moment of silence, then Lorne nodded. "Okay, it's probably clear."

Max nodded in acknowledgement, then stepped through. The rest of the Flock followed, then the Riders walked through, swords already in hand. The mermaids exchanged a significant look, then followed the Riders after waiting three seconds. Finally, Lorne stepped through with the rest of ART-1, weapons ready for action.

It was quiet aboard the hive. Apparently, the ship had not seen fit to grow more crew as it's hull was expanded.

After a brief look around, Ajax sheathed his long knives, hands loosely hanging by his sides.

The mermaids were likewise standing in a relaxed posture while McKay worked out where the ZPM was likely to be.

"Any time now, McKay." Lorne said quietly glancing over his shoulder. "I don't wanna be on this tub any longer than I have to be."

"Almost got it…" McKay replied absently, tapping his computer screen. He looked up and jerked his head, "…this way."

The group quietly walked along, ready to completely flip shit on any Wraith that dared to show themselves.

"I just realized something." Ajax said.

"What's that?" Lorne asked coming up beside him. Ajax could tell that he was trying to get his mind off the fact that they were on a Wraith Hive ship.

"You have three Riders with varying levels of skill in magic, four people with power even beyond that of a Rider, and the knowledge required to use it, and seven human-avian hybrids with survival training beyond that of any in the Armed Forces. In short, we have overkill, and I still haven't factored in Ronon and his blaster."

"Thanks." Lorne murmured, half-smiling. "That makes me feel better."

"Glad to help." Ajax said. He then raised his hand and whispered a few words in the ancient language. In an adjacent hallway, two Wraith dropped to the organic decking, dead.

Just then, a blue light seared a path right next to Ajax's head. He whirled around, eyes glaring, "hey, careful where you aim those things!" Ajax yelled. "You nearly took my head off!"

They kept firing, and the group scattered to take cover.

"Aragon!" Ajax yelled, drawing out the syllables in Aragon's name.

"What?" Aragon shot back, twisting to dodge another attack.

"I can't feel these things!" Ajax said. "And there's so little else in the area, I should be able to sense these guys."

"You can't mean…" Eragon said, joining the conversation.

"Yup, I think these masked things are the Ra'zac." Ajax replied, voice bitter.

"It would make sense." Eragon mused, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Either way, time to take them out." Ajax replied, ducking another stunner round. He chuckled, then put his hands together. "I saw this in a you-tube video once." he said, standing. "Kami-KAMI-Hey, come on, bro!"

Orange light roared from his palms resolving into a tight beam of light that vaporized the Wraith infantry and most of the wall behind them. Ajax separated his palms again. "I didn't think that would work." he said in wonder.

"Well, it did, so come on, we need to get going!" Cleo said, running past him with the other mermaids right behind her.

"Where'd you pick that up?" Aragon asked as they took off once more. "That was incredibly dangerous."

"Like I said, you-tube." Ajax replied, shrugging. "It was Jersey Shore meets Dragonball Z."

Aragon blinked several times. "On second thought…I don't want to know."

They continued on, Ajax painting a line of magic on the floor as they went. Suddenly, all hell broke loose. In the confused bedlam of the close quarters firing match, nobody noticed the slight tremor caused by a missile explosion on the outer hull of the hive.

In the five minute melee, the room became so crowded with bodies that the entire group was separated.

"We gotta get outta here!" Lorne shouted, breath heaving. "We can't keep this up!"

While nobody acknowledged the fact verbally, they all managed to get the point and struggled their way from the room before gathering in a side hall.

"Report!" Max called and one by one the Flock called out as they gathered around her. Meanwhile the others looked at them strangely. After Max had checked that all of her Flock was there she looked around at the others.

"Where's Ronon?" she asked.

"Dead." McKay said, wiping his brow before reloading his gun. "They hit his lungs. He bled out."

"Oh."

Just then, their radios crackled and they heard. "Stargate Command, this is Sheppard, come in."

"Sheppard, where are you?" they heard another voice ask. It was Colonel Carter.

"I made it inside." Sheppard replied. "Look, I don't have much time before this place is swarming with Wraith so, I'm arming the nuke."

"Did he say NUKE!" Rodney asked nervously.

"John…" Carter started.

"Just do me a favor. When Atlantis shows up," he sighed with resignation at not being able to see his friends again. "tell 'em I said goodbye."

McKay frantically grabbed his radio and hit the talk button. "SHEPPARD! This is McKay! Stop what you're doing, now!"

"McKay?" Sheppard asked, more confirming than questioning.

"Yes, it's me, I've got Lorne and Teyla, we're inside the Hive."

"What?" Sheppard asked incredulous. "Wha-how?"

"Look, it's a long story, just, the important thing is, if you're about to do what I think you're about to do, don't!"

"This Hive is about to attack Earth, Rodney, I don't have much of a choice."

"Just wait, we'll come to you, I'm sure we can rig up some sort of a remote detonator."

"What good's that gonna do for us? We can't get of this ship."

"That's where you're wrong." McKay said, almost triumphantly. "This way!" he proceeded to lead the group in the direction of the only other human life sign on the scanner.

Ajax continued leaving the trail, ensuring that the group would be able to find their way back when they needed to return to the gate.

It had grown eerily quiet, though occasionally, they would come across another bone-masked Wraith. Cleo and Emma were on either side of McKay, and whenever a Wraith popped up, they ensured that it wouldn't bother them again.

Lorne and Teyla had stopped firing, since a few whispered words seemed to be getting the job done just as well as a quick blast for a P-90. Eragon and Aragon had taken to cutting at the pillars in each room, weakening the ship by depriving it of power and the varying organic fluids that pulsed through it's veins. Meanwhile the Flock walked towards the back with Ajax, their eyes peering into the darkness cautiously.

They finally found the area where Sheppard had parked his 302, and John jumped out from behind one of the pillars, weapon ready. He lowered his weapon a moment later, having recognized the group. Ajax allowed his hand to drop to his side, the glow from his gedwëy ignasia fading.

"You guys are the last people I expected to see on this ship." Sheppard said.

"Same here." Rodney said, holstering his handgun. "Gimme a minute." he dashed to the 302, already working out the details of the detonator.

Sheppard watched him for a moment, then turned towards Teyla. "Where's Ronon?"

Teyla and Lorne exchanged a glance, but neither spoke.

"Teyla, where's Ronon?" Sheppard asked again, more urgently this time.

"Sorry, John." Teyla said sadly, keeping her eyes on the floor. Sheppard nodded briefly in sad acceptance of the fact.

Three levels above, a Wraith commander happened upon Ronon's body. After healing the wound, he fed on one of the infantry standing nearby, and 'reverse-fed' ever so slightly on Ronon, bringing the Setedan warrior back to life.

Ronon groaned in suppressed pain as the commander backed away slightly.

"I restored your life, human, and bound your wound." the commander stated.

The pain, though intense had been brief, and Ronon had recovered enough to speak.

"Hmm," he said. "That was real nice of you."

"Now you will answer my questions." the commander said, ignoring the jibe. He stood up, attempting to cow Ronon into submission before beginning. "How many humans are on my ship?"

Ronon didn't speak, so the commander ground his heel into Ronon's side. The wound was still quite painful, and to have pressure applied to it was even worse.

Ronon screamed in pain.

Rodney had done up the detonator in record time, and they were already on their way back towards the gate. Ronon happened to be along the path, and they heard Ronon's cry of pain.

While Aragon and the rest of the group would have rescued him, Sheppard beat them to the punch with Lorne and Teyla flanking him.

Bullets tore through the various Wraith standing around, and when the commander crumpled to the deck, dead, Sheppard lowered his weapon. "How ya doin' Chewie?" he asked.

Ronon just groaned. Lorne and Teyla rushed to help him up as Rodney exclaimed, "You were dead!"

"We're all gonna be dead unless we get outta here." Sheppard said, pushing him forward.

They rushed out of the room, Teyla scooping up Ronon's blaster as they left.

"Sheppard, what's your status?" Samantha asked over the radio.

"We got Ronon, and we're headed back to the gate." Sheppard answered.

"How much time?" she asked. She didn't bother to ask about Ronon, all that mattered at the moment was the destruction of the Hive that was powering it's weapons.

"Five to get there, and another five to calibrate the DHD for local coordinates." Rodney answered quickly.

"Ten minutes." Sheppard said.

"I'm sorry, the Hive is powering weapons, we're outta time." Carter said, voice grave.

"Understood." Sheppard said, resignation seeping into his voice as he looked back at the others. "Rodney, give me the detonator."

"Yu- We're almost there!" Rodney said. "I mean, look, did I say five minutes to calibrate the DHD? I meant two minutes."

"Rodney." Sheppard said quietly.

Rodney prepared the detonator, then handed it over to Sheppard who glanced at everyone who nodded. He was about to hit the button when the radio cackled again.

"John, wait. We're detecting another ship."

_A/N: Just because I could, I split the Hive raid into 2 sections. Review!_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Okay, so my fights scenes are a little anemic, I'll try to work on that. The Van Helsing reference was from the starting fight scene of the movie, when Van Helsing fought Mr. Hyde._

_Forsaken By All: The DF reference was from the song 'The Warrior Inside'_

_And now for anything Avenging Angels might have to say!_

**Nothing from me today! Review people!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


	52. Enemy At The Gate Part 2

"It's Atlantis." Max said. "They're practically under us, right between the Hive and Earth."

"How do you know that?" McKay asked, his voice full of doubt.

Max glared at him and said, "Because Angel's driving, and she told me. Let's get out of here."

The ship shook as if to enforce her point.

"This way!" Ajax yelled, running to the front of the group. "I left a trail!" The group dashed through hallways as quickly as possible, with Aragon casually dropping a few grenades that he had brought with him to ward off the advancing attackers.

"Get on it, McKay!" Sheppard called, tossing McKay the remote which he snatched from the air without losing stride. Rodney was kneeling before the DHD, feeling under it for the catch when Lorne announced, "We've got company!"

The mermaid trio jostled together in a V formation and from their palms a bright, blue light shot out, stretching over the hall before the group. As the Wraith fired the beams soaked into the shield, expanding it.

"How's it comin' Rodney?" Sheppard asked, holding his fire for a moment.

"I just got it!" Rodney replied, sweat dripping from his face as his fingers worked rapidly. "Dialing the Alpha site now!"

The ship quaked as Aragon's grenades went off, vaporizing several sections of the vessel.

"Who dropped that one?" Sheppard asked in wonder. A wall of fire dashed past the shield being projected by the mermaids, though the walls began to shrivel in the fiery inferno.

"I did." Aragon answered, preparing to launch another grenade.

"Well, I'd like to get more of them if I can." Sheppard replied, still awed by the power. "They seem to work real good!"

"Maybe another time," Aragon smirked.

The wormhole stabilized, and the group retreated through the active Stargate.

Sheppard entered the commands to detonate the nuke, then left the device sitting on the DHD before jumping through. The connection cut off several seconds before the nuke fired, completely destroying the Hive in a fiery detonation.

In the next instant they were standing in an open field, with a small military installation nearby.

"We did it." Sheppard said, his voice quiet. Then, "WE DID IT!"

The group celebrated for several moments but froze as Max threw her hands up and yelled for quiet as she rubbed her temples. They waited, hearts pounding.

"Just before we left," Max started somberly, "Angel told me that Atlantis was pretty close to losing shields, and that the incoming fire from the Hive knocked them out of orbit. They were scraping the top of the atmosphere towards the end of the fight."

"Atlantis had five ZedPMs at her disposal!" McKay started, outraged. "What happened?"

Max glanced at him then said, "Apparently, one of them was just about all in, dropping them to four, and they cooked the two extras with the wormhole drive. The two that were left weren't enough to compensate for the stresses of battle combined with maintaining altitude and returning fire. She isn't sure if they have enough shield to survive re-entry."

The group was quiet, then McKy whispered, "We'll know in about five minutes. At that point, it should be safe to dial Earth, or rather, Atlantis on Earth."

The news sobered the group. Eragon was worried for Saphira's sake, Max for Tigrus and Angel, the other members of the Flock were worried for Angel's sake as well, and the others for the friends they had left behind on Atlantis.

"They knew the risks." Sheppard said at last. "Right now, there's nothing we can do."

_Atlantis:_

Angel grimaced as the city burned through the atmosphere, it wasn't good for the city, and by extension it wasn't good for her.

The wormhole drive had really taken it out of her, and she was glad that there had been all that excess power from the additional two Zero Point Modules. The moment they arrived, Angel ceded control to Dr. Beckett saying, "I'm not fit for the Chair right now." Dr. Beckett had nodded, concerned, but left the matter of Angel's health for a later time, focusing on firing at the Hive and keeping the city up. In the end, he focused more on firing at the Hive than maintaining altitude, and the city plummeted shortly after the Hive exploded in a glorious explosion of blinding blue light.

Angel had, unfortunately, remained conscious through the entire ordeal, despite the pain from systems shorting out. Carson had taken pity on her during the battle, asking that someone take Angel to the infirmary.

Once Angel arrived in the infirmary, Dr. Keller gently asked if she would object to being temporarily knocked out. Angel didn't object, just held out her arm for the injection.

One of the more significant relays blew out, and Angel shrieked from the pain before the drug was able to kick in, and she swiftly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When Dr. Beckett finally stood, trembling slightly, Atlantis rested in the San Francisco Bay, her cloak engaged, and the area under full naval quarantine.

The Stargate in the Atrium connected as the Alpha Site dialed in.

"Well, who could be knocking right now?" Woolsey asked jokingly.

"Receiving ICD now, sir." the tech answered. "It's Sheppard."

"Well, let them through." Woolsey said.

The shield faded away from the gate, and the miniature army that had been on the Hive stepped through.

"Did you miss me?" Sheppard asked.

"We missed you enough to bring the city here, and risk all our lives with a highly experimental drive." Woolsey bantered.

"I can see that." Sheppard replied. "I woulda had the Hive dead to rights on my own, you know."

"Oh, I know, but we couldn't let you have all the fun, besides, Jackson wanted to be on Atlantis quite a bit. I imagine he'll take up residency here for a while."

"How long?" McKay asked, slightly irritated.

"Until we get the city patched up enough to go back to the Pegasus galaxy." Dr. Woolsey replied. "Well also be hosting Stargate Command for a while, again, until we leave for the Pegasus galaxy."

"Is Saphira all right?" Eragon broke in. He didn't bother waiting for an answer, just dashed up the stairs and onto the balcony before jumping off and gliding down to the deck.

"Right, a deal's a deal." Ajax said. "I'll inform Carter that she's done studying the Phoenix for now. We'll have you back home inside of a week, Aragon."

Turning towards the gate technician, he said "You wouldn't happen to know Chulak's address, would you?"

"Chulak?" she asked.

"Yeah, Teal'c homeworld."

"No, I don't know that one." she replied, still slightly confused.

"Okay." Ajax replied. "I'll just ask Command. I promised I'd get something for Teal'c." He left the room whistling tunelessly.

Ronon winced again, and the group realized that Ronon was still wounded.

"Let's get you to the Infirmary, Chewie." Sheppard said, but Emma overruled him.

"Don't bother, I'll heal him." she said.

Of the others in the room, only the other mermaids understood exactly what she half said, half sang over Ronon. Everyone else just thought it was an exquisite line of poetry from a beautiful poem in a long-dead language.

Woolsey was so moved by the emotion in it that he found himself wiping away tears from his eyes.

"Thanks." Ronon grunted, rolling his shoulders.

"No problem." Emma smiled. "Come on guys, let's go!" she and the other two mermaids left the room, ready to put in some time in the water.

"The IOA will want to debrief you." Woolsey said. "But you may decline the 'invitation' if you wish, Aragon. I understand you want to get home as quickly as possible."

Aragon nodded as if he'd been expecting something like that to come up. "What exactly do you mean by 'decline'?"

"We'll cover for you, saying that you'd already left for the Pegasus Galaxy aboard the Phoenix." Woolsey replied, smiling.

"I see." Aragon replied, amused. "Ah, what the hell. I'll do the debriefing."

Three days later, Aragon was sitting in a meeting room in the SGC with his feet up on the table. Thelduin was on his shoulders, and Dragonforce was playing off of his iPod.

He'd been waiting for nearly five minutes when three arrogant IOA representatives stepped into the room. The door clicked closed with a rather solid clank as the reps sat down.

"Your name?" one of them asked.

Aragon lazily looked in their general direction. "I am Aragon the Grey, Last of the Exiles, the Heretic Inquisitor, Dragon-Tamer, the Savior of Caledor, and many other names besides." he said in a bored tone.

The man's face tightened ever so slightly at Aragon's tone, then relaxed again.

"What was your role in the mission aboard the Hive that was destroyed in orbit over Earth?" he asked.

"I figured that due to the organic nature of the vessel, cutting the support pillars would cut off or slow key systems, not to mention the fact that it would probably ruin structural integrity." came the easy reply.

The third representative finally looked up from her report with an irritated look. "Would you please shut off that shit some people refer to as music?" she asked.

Aragon grinned. "I would, if I were so inclined." he replied. "But I'm not."

She pursed her lips as she formulated a response to that. "My name is Camile Wray." she said. "And I'm in charge of the IOA. Turn off the music, that's an order."

"That's an order," Aragon repeated, pausing briefly before continuing, "that I'd be only too happy to follow if you were my superior."

"Are all these so-called Riders like this?" the second one asked. He was the most even-tempered of the group, and the second in command of the IOA.

"Can be." Aragon replied cheerfully.

The man's only response was a quick raising and lowering of his eyebrows. "Great." he muttered. He made a note in the file.

"Aragon, please detail for us, from beginning to finish, what you did, starting with the moment you traveled via Stargate to the Hive ship and ending with the moment you returned to Atlantis. No embellishment, please."

"You take all the fun out of it." Aragon complained. "Very well. After we exited the Stargate, Dr. McKay tried to pinpoint where the Zero Point Module was located aboard the ship. We were met by several Wraith as I've decided to call them, and we lost Ronon during an engagement against them. After that engagement, I began slicing through pillars in every room we went through.

"We were about halfway there when we heard Sheppard over the radio, asking Colonel Carter of the SGC to tell Atlantis that he said goodbye, he was arming the nuke. McKay told him to stop and that we were headed for his location. We picked up Sheppard, meeting light resistance along the way, then returned to the gate after McKay wired up a remote detonator. Eragon and I finished the hacking job that we were doing, actually cutting pillars out so it wasn't just a slice through it, and then we heard Ronon screaming."

"You said you had lost Ronon during an engagement with the Wraith. You meant dead, right?"

"That is correct." Aragon replied. "A Wraith commander revived him through the feeding ability. Apparently, they've been known to grant immortality to their followers by reverse feeding into them. This can also revive dead people. Ronon had been revived so that the commander could gain the information Ronon had. We went in and Sheppard pretty much tore up the various Wraith standing around with his P-90. We got to the gate, and McKay was busy reconfiguring the gate to accept local coordinates when Carter radioed in, saying that the Hive was powering weapons and we had run out of time. Sheppard was about to fire the detonator when Atlantis showed up, and intercepted the Wraith weapons fire. McKay started to finish his job on the DHD when a large group of Wraith closed down around our position.

"I heaved three plasma grenades, which bought us enough time for McKay to finish what he was doing, dial the gate, and get out after firing the nuke. We landed at what McKay called the Alpha Site, and we waited about ten minutes before dialing Earth again. The gate connected, and stabilized on Atlantis. We went though, Atlantis had survived re-entry, and we all celebrated a job well done."

"Thank you for your co-operation." the man said, standing up. Camile suppressed a reaction to the 'cooperation' part, and also stood. "You may return to Atlantis at your leisure."

Aragon picked up his portable speakers and iPod, then stood as well. He clicked the radio on for several seconds, then let off. "Bye." he said, then disappeared in a flash of transport energy.

"All in favor for not debriefing the others?" Wray asked.

The other two interviewers raised their hands. "It's settled then." she said, closing the file she had on the table.

The two others stood up, and followed the woman out of the room.

"I doubt they'll debrief you." Aragon said, sitting down.

"Oh?" Eragon asked. "Why's that?"

"I might have played around with them a bit." Aragon replied, shrugging and expressing a wry smile. "I don't even feel sorry for them; with that strange scent of bureaucracy all over them."

Aragon…never mind, I doubt I can get you to listen. Thelduin said, lazily looping her way to Aragon's shoulders.

Ajax ambled in, carrying a case. "Well Aragon, you ready to go?"

"I need to get my gear." Aragon said.

"Fine, meet me back here in five." Ajax replied. He vanished in a wide beam of light.

Aragon just twitched his eyebrows, then went to retrieve his gear, leaving Eragon to go upstairs to Woolsey's office.

Ajax returned thirty seconds later, without the case he'd been carrying. After several seconds, he took a seat out of the way of traffic, and waited for Aragon to return.

Aragon appeared with a near silent pop, gear in hand. Ajax stood up lazily. "I assume you're ready to go then?" he asked.

"Yes, I've got everything here with me." Aragon replied.

"Well, we're gonna be waiting for another few moments until Amaranth gets here. I trust most of the people of the Atlantis expedition, but I don't trust a large majority of the people on this planet. I don't want to come back and find her laid open on some table in a lab."

"Understandable." Aragon replied, picturing the image all too well.

"She should be here any moment now." Ajax said. "What's keeping her?"

"If it's something worth detaining a dragon, it's worth checking out." Aragon replied. "Unless you'd rather not?"

Ajax caught the slight sarcasm at the end. "Here she comes." he said, ignoring Aragon's sarcasm.

The door groaned open, allowing for a radiantly beautiful woman to glide through before it closed again. She stood as high as Ajax and was wearing an emerald green dress, with gauzy sleeves that billowed impressively with the slight air currents caused by her forward motion. Her face was regal, even a bit aristocratic, and reminded Ajax somewhat of the elf queen, Islanzadí. The raven black hair that framed her face served to take some of the aristocratic edge off, replacing it with an appearance of gentleness.

Ajax tried to restart his brain, but found it hard to do so until Amaranth's voice broke through the malaise.

"If you're done gaping at my apparent beauty, maybe we can transport to the Phoenix?" she asked.

Ajax clenched his eyes shut for several seconds. "Amaranth?" he asked at last.

"Yes, it's me. Can we go now?" she answered.

Aragon fixed Ajax with a significant glance. "Time isn't standing still, Ajax."

"Right…" Ajax replied, then pulled out the radio. "Ajax to Phoenix. Three for transport."

A moment later, they appeared on the bridge, where Ajax promptly sat down at the Master Control station.

Aragon shook his head. "Still holding on to that odd setup, are you?"

"Yes, I am." Ajax replied. "Makes me damn hard to hit in a firefight…at least, when the ammunition being thrown isn't about the size of a fighter."

"Yes, I know. And even when it is that big, you manage to not get hit." Aragon retorted.

"Yeah, only because I was hiding behind a flying space station." Ajax shot back.

"Flying space station?" Aragon inquired cooly.

"Yeah, DS9 called itself a space station, and your so-called ship was bigger in overall space taken up, and had less open space in it. DS9 had something of a paraframe design." Ajax explained.

"Ok." Aragon said, disinterested.

Ajax took that as a hint that Aragon would rather leave that topic. "Phoenix will show you to your quarters."

"Right this way, if you please." Phoenix said, walking out.

Aragon followed without comment as Ajax punched up the coordinates for Dakara, and swung the ship's blunt nose around to the specified section of space before jumping to hyperspace.

Okay, if anyone wants to take a shot at what might have happened or how, please feel free. I'd love reviews on the subject!

Answers to Readers:

Master of the Blood Wolves: There is much I could have done, but…yeah. I'll try harder with TI.

Forsaken by All: Right.

NinthFeather: CollegeHumor threw Jersey Shore and DBZ together, and I remembered it. I thought it was cool, so I used it. I'm glad you find the quality to be good, the next chapter may end up taking a while.

And now for whatever Avenging Angels might have on the subject.

Well, whatever is gonna happen will definitely be interesting! Can't wait for what happens next. As always, review, Hideout Writer deserves it!


	53. Finale

The white tunnel lasted for ten minutes before the ship emerged into real space again.

"If you all will sit tight, I'll be done in a minute." Ajax promised before turning away from the others and disappearing in a white flash of transport energy.

The Free Jaffa nation had just finished a council session when Ajax appeared before them with a barely audible pop and a bright flash of light.

Teal'c recognized the youth, and quickly walked over to him, waving off the other council members who had risen angrily. "Outsiders are not permitted in the Free Jaffa council chambers." he stated solemnly, escorting Ajax out.

Ajax inclined his head to acknowledge what Teal'c had said. "My apologies, Teal'c." he replied formally, dipping his head. "I came to honor my promise."

"You have brought the weapon with you then?" Teal'c asked, eyes brightening fractionally.

"I have." Ajax answered, producing the weapon and holding it out for him. "There's a switch for the stun/kill setting on the side. I must return to my ship at once." So saying, Ajax moved away from Teal'c, and pushed the radio button. "One for transport." he said, before disappearing.

Aragon was sitting in the center chair when Ajax arrived on the bridge.

"Any other stops?" he enquired cooly, twisting in his chair to look up at Ajax.

"Not that I'm aware of…unless you have a place in mind?" Ajax returned cheekily.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a place in mind." Aragon replied.

"Oh?" Ajax asked, hiding his surprise.

"Yeah, Alagaesia." Aragon said.

Ajax's voice took on an announcer's quality as he said "Next stop, Alagaesia. ETA, two days seven hours and thirty five minutes."

"Is that all?" Aragon enquired sarcastically.

"Well, calculating the seconds is tedious, and yes, the time I quoted is all the time _Phoenix_ needs to get from here to there. Considering the fact that the _Daedalus_ would take about a month to do the same, it's no mean feat." Ajax explained with a grin as Aragon rolled his eyes. "Now entering hyperspace."

The window opened, and everything seemed to pause for a moment before the ship was sucked into the hyperspace window.

"How strong are your Gellar fields?" Aragon asked.

"I don't have Gellar fields." Ajax replied. "Remember what I told you? Hyperspace is one layer up from real space, while warp travel as _I_ understand it involves subspace, one layer down from real space, and the warp you are used to, as I understand it, is in a different dimension. This is hyperspace, clean, quiet and safe. It's almost impossible to get into an altercation in hyperspace, mainly due to the speeds, but once in a while, someone has been forced out of hyperspace for one reason or another."

Aragon had been nodding through most of Ajax's speech, and when the junior Rider finished, he said "So, basically what you're saying is that there are no demons in this white and blue expanse, waiting to feast on my soul."

"Yeah, pretty much." Ajax said cheerfully. "Did you want such things?"

"NO!" Aragon said quickly, turning back to the controls. "I'm just not very used to traveling faster than light without having demons chasing me."

"Alright." Ajax said, attempting to placate the other Rider. "I'm switching on the warp core, the ship might shake a little when I power up the drive."

Sure enough, the ship shuddered as the warp core engaged with the drive, and the blue-white tunnel began to fly past the ship rather than the crawling speed Aragon had seen earlier.

His eyebrows lifted, then dropped back to their customary position.

They sparred at noon of the second day, the first time that they had had contact with each other since Ajax had engaged the engines that would ram the Phoenix through hyperspace at her current considerable velocity. It barely lasted three minutes, and Ajax ended up flat on his back, spread eagle on the floor. Aragon's sword ever so gently touched Ajax's chin. "Dead." Aragon said flatly. "I've had far more experience with swords than you've had, what made you think you could take me like that?"

"Stupidity." Ajax said, toweling his face. "Arrogance. Pride. The usual." he stalked out of the sparring room, failing to hide his bruised ego.

Amaranth, who had been watching the encounter, laughed at the antics of her Rider, then picked up the sword he had left behind. Carefully arching an eyebrow, she thought, _"Care to best me, now?"_

Aragon considered, then decided not to. "It would be unwise for a mere mortal to do battle with a dragon." he said, bowing low.

Amaranth's face fell. _"Awwwww."_, she said childishly. She wiped the blades, then placed them in their sheaths, which were then returned to the Armory.

Aragon shrugged as she left, he had no way of know what was really happening in her mind.

The ship arrived exactly when Ajax had said she would, though the lights flickered ominously as both FTL drives shut down simultaneously. Aragon had been sitting in the command view chair in the center of the bridge when the ship dropped out. Something exploded overhead, and he instinctively ducked as an alarm blared.

"Sorry bout that." Ajax called from the driver's seat. "I never got that cool little thing fixed. Every time something breaks, there's a small charge that goes off above that seat, complete with a little bit of sparks to go with."

"You could have warned me." Aragon said. "Didn't have to leave me in the dark."

"Sorry. It makes for good action when you need help, and you're talking with another ship. I can't tell you the number of times that thing has saved my bacon strips and bacon strips and bacon strips and bacon strips and bacon strips, etcetera."

Aragon just shook his head. "Let's go."

"I'll put you down in the Citadel." Phoenix said, standing near an auxiliary console. "Call me when you're ready to go."

There was a flash of white light, and the next thing Ajax and Aragon saw was Nasuada's throne. The two Riders looked at her, and she looked back at them for several seconds.

"You are back." she said at last, her voice clear as a bell.

"Yeah, thought I'd say a few goodbyes." Ajax said. "I'm not here long."

"What do you mean by that?" Aragon demanded, turning on the younger Rider.

"Exactly what I said." Ajax replied, hardly glancing at him.

"If you aren't on Atlantis when she returns here, I swear I'll come back to Earth, and _drag_ you, kicking and screaming, to this world. I will not run the Riders on my own."

"Oh, you're right about that." Ajax said and began counting on his fingers. "There's Eragon of course, and then Murtagh, somewhere around here; and Max will probably stay on the city with Angel and her Flock when Atlantis leaves Earth, so there's three besides yourself."

"Ajax." Nasuada stated.

"Yes?"

"I wish to speak with you, _in private_."

"As you wish." Ajax said, feeling rather agreeable.

Nasuada rose from her throne gracefully, and gestured towards the balcony. "I know you don't want to stay, but I wanted to thank you properly for what you did in the aftermath of killing Galbatorix."

_*Flashback*_

"Bah! It is but paltry recompense for my involvement in this joint venture!" Orrin exclaimed.

"Oh, shut up Orrin!" Ajax blurted, jackknifing to his feet.

"Of all the disrespectful nerve! From a mere boy at that!" Orrin fumed.

"I'm a Rider, not a 'mere boy'." Ajax spat. "You want to argue about who gets the throne of the Empire. Here's your simple answer. None of you."

"What?" was heard from several voices at once.

"I killed Galbatorix." Ajax said. "In other words, _me_. Therefore, by right of conquest, the throne is mine. The Oath-Breaker was king, _I_ killed him, and thus the throne goes to _me_." Ajax said coldly. "I have had enough of this. For three days, you have argued and argued and argued. I was told to attend the meetings by Eragon, a command I obeyed because he was well within his rights to do so."

"In that case." Eragon stated. "I command you to give up the throne."

"No." Ajax said. "You cannot order me to surrender my right. I have things that need done."

Orik scratched his head, shook it vigorously, then stood up and said "The king is dead! Long Live King Ajax!"

The others in the room did not take up the cry.

"The elves have no claim to the throne, and no rights to meddle in the politics of choosing the ruler of this land." Ajax said. "No disrespect, but Rhunon, the elf smith who has forged every blade that is carried by the Riders, was a master smith in her own right since sometime before the Rider Eragon and his dragon Bid'Aum. I could easily see the elf race as being undying, and I do not believe that an Undying should have the throne unless the subjects to the throne are undying as well."

"In that case, you will surrender the throne." Orrin stated.

Nasuada coolly sat back in her chair and waited to see where Ajax was headed.

"Do as I say, not as I do…a phrase well favored by those in power. You would do well to remember how it looks from the other side. There are none in this room who can take the throne from me unless I give it to them. Orik, you have comported yourself well in these meetings, much as you told me Eragon did during the voting of a new king of the dwarves. The Empire is forever in your debt. Gar Nozvog, your warriors gained much honor for their family and their race. I do not know what Nasuada has promised you, but I assure you, you will receive it. It might not have been hers to give, but I support it regardless."

"You please me with your words, wet-rider. I am apprehensive though. Our young will grow up, and they will need victory to earn the right to mate. I fear that war may break out between you and our next generation."

"I hope not, for everyone's sake. What if games were organized, where the four races of Alagaesia could meet and compete? I am sure that friendly competition could solve that problem, while still giving your youth the means needed to prove themselves."

"It could be done, wet-rider. We will try it."

"Great. More on that later. Moving on to King Grimr Half-paw. You have stated that all you wish is a pillow for one of your people, by the throne of whoever leads the Empire, from now until forever, am I correct?"

"You are." Grimr said, looking at his nails. "And if that condition is fulfilled, we care not who sits on the throne."

"Good, that's one less headache to deal with." Ajax said. "Now, Orrin. I give you the lands Nasuada attempted to negotiate giving you-"

"A paltry recompense for our part in the war!" Orrin shouted.

"I am the king of the Empire and a Dragon Rider!" Ajax shouted back with equal force. "I have made no promises to you concerning anything, my giving of the lands is purely out of generosity. You already have a crown. You already have a kingdom. I daresay the long hours spent on the march have done things to your mind. Return to your home, to your throne in Surda. Rule Surda, as your father before you and his father before him did."

Orrin looked as though he'd eaten something particularly nasty, but he didn't say anything.

"On a kinder note. I know of your fascination with the sciences. I procured a book for you, one I think you would like very much. It may help explain some previously unexplainable things." at this the king perked up slightly.

"I believe that's almost everything I wanted to say, and now the crown grows heavy upon my brow. I am retiring from the job, and name my successor, Nasuada. Congratulations, you are Queen of the Empire."

This caused Nasuada, Eragon, and Orrin to all start speaking at once.

Eragon was congratulating Ajax on his maturity in giving up the throne, despite the fact that he could have easily kept it, Orrin was still ranting about how unfair it was, and Nasuada was asking where he was going. That question broke through to Ajax.

"Out." he said. "My path leads out, so I am going out." So saying, he walked out of the room, the door closing with a rather final sounding boom.

_*End Flashback*_

"I raised hell with that stunt, didn't I?" Ajax asked fondly, remembering that day.

"I remember being shocked that I was no longer in charge, and then you artfully dumped it back in my lap." Nasuada replied with a smile.

"Artful? Hardly. It did get the point across though."

"It did at that. Where will you go now?"

"Earth." Ajax replied. "My path is on Earth. I don't know what Eragon will do, haven't asked. When Atlantis does arrive though, you'll more than likely pick up another Rider in town. Max will probably base herself out of Atlantis, seeing as how Angel is bonded with the city. Though I should warn you, she's feisty."

Ajax grinned and Nasuada smiled.

"So this is your final goodbye?" Nasuada queried after a moment's silence.

"It is. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my path lies on a different world than this one. You will do fine without me. Besides, I've smuggled a small strip of paper into Aragon's bag. There might be a whole lot more dragon eggs than anyone knows."

Just as Nasuada was about to question him about what he meant, Aragon and Angela came strolling along the parapet in the opposite direction to Ajax and Nasuada.

"Well if it isn't the rider of the green dragon!" Angela exclaimed happily.

Ajax took one look at Angela, and then backed up swiftly, saying "Stay the hell away from my life!"

"What do you mean?" Angela asked, confused.

"You know damn well what I mean, Lady Fate." Ajax snarled. "Ajax to Phoenix. One for immediate extraction!"

With that, Ajax vanished from sight in a flash of white transport energy.

The three people standing on the parapet looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces before Angela summed it up quite philosophically. "That was strange, even for me."

In the city of Ellesméra, Ajax materialized near the Stargate. An elf ran at once to the throne room, and several minutes later, Arya came to where he was standing.

"Why are you here?" Arya asked, after exchanging the ceremonial greeting.

"I thought you might want to send a message to Eragon." Ajax said.

"I would far rather if you could take me to Eragon, rather than a simple message." she said quietly. "I love him, and he had expressed the same, before."

Ajax nodded sagely, not caring to involve himself too much in the love affairs of others.

"It's your call." he said at last. "Send a message, don't send a message, send yourself as the message, I don't care, but you'll need to make your decision quickly. I'm leaving now."

"Then take me with you." Arya said decisively. "I want to be with Eragon again."

Ajax inclined his head, then reached for the radio saying "Ajax to Phoenix. Two for transport."

_And so ends the story of the Stargate of Alagaesia. I'm well aware that some events depicted here don't match up with the books, but I've got the keyboard, and I did as I liked, and you can't stop me! Mwa hahahahaha *cough* *choke* *gasp* *wheeze* *cough-cough*_

_I need to work on that evil laugh of mine, it seems to have decayed…_

_Answers to Readers:_

_Master of the Blood Wolves: Alright, Aragon will be checking back on Ajax when Atlantis shows up without said character, and I've currently got lot's of ideas for TI, none of them actually on the road yet though._

_NinthFeather: Nobody needs to be concerned…human!Amaranth came from an idea I picked up from Van Helsing, with the animagus thing thrown in to tidy it all up. I'm glad you enjoyed Aragon playing around with the IOA, I had fun writing it._

_Forsaken By All: Now you've read the final chapter of the story. What now?_

_And now for Avenging Angels to close out for the last time in this story!_

**So sad to see it all come to a close. But wasn't it one hell of a ride? Give it up for Hideout Writer guys! Let's hear it!**

**Sincerely,**

**Avenging Angels**


End file.
